"Endure and persist; this pain will turn to good by and by"

Ovid’s words invite us to reflect on the transformative power of resilience. He acknowledges that suffering and discomfort are inextricable parts of the human journey, but he does not present pain as an end in itself. Instead, he points to endurance and continued effort as the guiding responses to hardship. The act of enduring, of steadfastly facing and living through pain, suggests more than mere passive waiting. It is an active process, one that requires courage, patience, and a certain faith in the workings of time and fate.

By coupling endurance with persistence, Ovid emphasizes that it is not enough simply to survive hardships; one must also persist, to continue striving toward goals, to keep moving forward even when progress seems slow or invisible. Persistence implies a renewal of motivation each day, a decision not to succumb to despair or apathy, and a refusal to let pain define the entirety of one’s experience.

The idea that pain will “turn to good by and by” speaks to the redeeming qualities that adversity can produce. Hardship often brings about growth, insight, and strength previously unknown. Through suffering, individuals may discover patience, gain a deeper appreciation for joy, develop empathy, or find new sources of purpose. There is a recognition that time is a necessary ingredient for this transformation; pain’s fruits are often not immediate, but arrive gradually, revealed through the passage of days and the eventual shifting of circumstances.

Embedded in these words is also an implicit message of hope. To endure and persist is not merely to withstand suffering, but to actively participate in the process of one’s own renewal. Even when the present is filled with anguish, Ovid’s perspective points toward a horizon where pain is not wasted, but becomes the catalyst for future good. Through endurance and persistence, we are able to weather our trials and, ultimately, to transform them.