A Purpose for the Pain

Whenever one of my friends tells me she has gone into labor, I’m never sure whether to express congratulations or sympathy. I mean, I’m happy that her long wait is over and the baby is finally coming, but I know that labor means an intense season of pain.

One friend had a particularly good perspective on this. She said that it was ok to be happy for her, because the pain meant that her baby was coming.

Her pain was for a purpose, and while she focused on the purpose, the pain became easier to be...