"In our nature, however, there is a provision, alike marvelous and merciful, that the sufferer should never know the intensity of what he endures by its present torture, but chiefly by the pang that rankles after it"

This quote by Nathaniel Hawthorne speaks to the resilience of the human spirit. It recommends that, in spite of the discomfort and suffering we may sustain, there is a merciful arrangement in our nature that permits us to cope with it. We might not be able to completely understand the strength of our suffering in the moment, but it is the remaining discomfort that genuinely impacts us. This quote speaks with the idea that, while we may not be able to control the pain we experience, we can control how we respond to it. We can select to be resistant and discover strength in the after-effects of our suffering. This quote is a pointer that, no matter how challenging the situation, we can find a method to cope and progress.