What does it mean to be human?

Rose O’Connor reflects on the connection between human suffering and love in a piece for The Monitor.

Recalling her father’s wake from over 30 years ago, O’Connor describes how her young son expressed grief by placing drawings and messages of love around his great-grandfather's body. She notes that the child's experience of pain and his ability to comfort her during their shared grief illustrated a fundamental aspect of the human condition.

O’Connor suggests that being human involves a difficult balance where the capacity for joy and the capacity for hurt both stem from the ability to love. She observes that the more people love, the more they remain open to the pain that love can cause.