Stephen Colbert beautifully explains why we must be grateful, even in suffering: 'It's a gift to exist'

Struggles are an inescapable part of life's journey. Resilience and determination are the only weapons you need to move ahead, transforming those life challenges into stepping stones of growth and inner strength. Actor and talk show host Stephen Colbert (@stephenathome) offered an extraordinary perspective on human suffering, affirming that while existence inevitably involves pain, the ability to exist is a profound gift from the Almighty. In a candid conversation with Anderson Cooper on CNN, he shared his profound vision of dealing with and overcoming grief. 

"Yes. It's a gift to exist. And with existence comes suffering. There's no escaping that. But if you are grateful for your life. Then you have to be grateful for all of it," Colbert said. He reflected on his personal loss, revealing how early loss became a profound teacher of empathy and human connection. Through his painful experiences, Colbert learned to acknowledge others' sufferings while developing gratitude for the small gifts in life. "I suffered something so that by the time I was in serious relationships in my life with friends or with my wife or with my children, is that I have some understanding that everybody is suffering," he added. 

Colbert's unbelievable philosophy transformed grief into wisdom, recognizing that even the most bitter experiences carry invaluable lessons to shape our life's journey. "And however imperfectly, acknowledge their suffering and connect with them and love them in a deep way that makes you grateful for the fact that you have suffered so that you can know that about other people. I want to be the most human I can be, and that involves acknowledging and ultimately being grateful for the things that I wish didn't happen because they gave me a gift," the "Strangers with Candy" actor revealed. 

Colbert also shared his perspective on living life with grief. He described it as surviving with a "beloved tiger." He acknowledged the complex nature of his past experience, highlighting that while after so many years, it is still capable of causing him extreme hurt, he has developed a close relationship with this emotional companion. Despite its heartbreaking essence, Colbert expressed gratitude for this grief. He recognized it as an integral part of his life that will remain with him forever. "I don't, I can't speak for everybody, but it's my tiger. And I wouldn't want to get rid of the tiger. I have such a relationship with it now. I just want to be clear that it's painful. And it's going to live as long as I do," he added.

Notably, Colbert had lost his father and teenage brothers, Peter and Paul, in a terrific plane crash when he was just 10 years old in 1974. During the same interview, he recalled his memories of the catastrophe as fragmented images. Colbert recalled how the loss changed everything about his existence. His worldview shifted, his emotional landscape was reshaped and most importantly, his relationship with his mother. "I'm assuming the relationship with my father and our brothers changed too because now I never really got to know my father. And my brothers are always, you know, about to go play baseball. They're about to go play baseball all the time. They're just looking for their gloves all the time," he revealed.