Good health is among life’s greatest blessings—so natural and familiar that it often goes unnoticed until it fades. Illness, when it arrives, disrupts not only the body but the rhythm of life itself, interrupting our pursuit of contentment, joy, and fulfillment.
All living beings—humans, animals, and plants alike—are subject to disease and decay. Sickness is not an anomaly but an expression of life’s vulnerability. At times, suffering becomes unbearable, testing endurance and faith, prolonging recovery, and draining emotional as well as financial resources. Even the most advanced medical interventions cannot always guarantee healing. When illness persists or becomes incurable, the human mind searches desperately for meaning. Often, sickness is interpreted as punishment—a consequence of moral failure or divine displeasure. Such beliefs, however, arise more from fear than from philosophy or spirituality. If suffering were a measure of guilt, the world would be morally orderly. Yet reality tells a different story: those who appear least deserving often enjoy robust health, while the virtuous endure relentless pain. Illness does not discriminate by character. The tendency to blame oneself, to carry guilt or indulge in self-condemnation, offers neither healing nor wisdom. These are comforting illusions rather than truths. Perspective emerges only when we recognize that suffering is relative; we lament the absence of comforts until confronted with lives deprived of far more fundamental necessities. Philosophers and spiritual seekers alike have long asked: Is suffering a means of purification? Is pain a warning, a correction, or a preparation for a higher reward? Or is it simply an invitation to reflect more deeply on the purpose of existence? Such interpretations may provide solace, but they remain human constructs—attempts to impose meaning where certainty is unavailable. Yet illness does have one undeniable effect: it awakens us. Health is easily taken for granted until the body faults Nelson Lopes Chinchinim Nelson Lopes Chinchinim https://lopesnelsonnat.wordpress.com
