Monday, April 27, 2009

On Suffering

In the last years of Pierre-Auguste Renoir's life, arthritis crippled his hands, making it extremely painful to hold a paintbrush, let alone create something beautiful with it. He continued to paint, however, by strapping a brush to his hand. When asked why he submitted his body to such suffering and frustration, he said, "The pain passes, but the beauty remains."

1 comment:

kkollwitz said...

Suffering is way underrated!

About 35 years ago I was watching Firing Line, William F. Buckley's TV show. He was interviewing Malcolm Muggeridge, who at some point said, "you know, every important thing I've learned I learned by suffering," or words to that effect. I was about 15 years old, and thought that was a dumb thing to say.

But over the next few decades, I saw that he was right.

Now I kid all my 6th graders that because Rel Ed is about learning, they must also suffer....and I'm only half-kidding.