“Everything happens for a reason.” After the unexpected death of my papa,  a cherished and important person in my life, this once-comfortable belief was called into question. The grief from this loss left me feeling empty and unworthy, which led me to wonder hard about the purpose of suffering. I started to wonder after this incident if everything really happens for a reason or if some things are just random or unexplainable.   Eventually, I realized that life is full of unknowns and that the meaning might be something we make for ourselves by how we handle difficulties . My writing shows a transition away from a basic belief in purpose and toward a more complex understanding of life's unpredictability.