daily word - grateful?

Are you grateful for things you would not have chosen? Do you ever choose things that are painful and difficult? Do they come to you nonetheless? How do you deal with them? Have you noticed that these difficulties can have beneficial effects in your life? In recovery programs there are those who refer to themselves as grateful drunks. This implies that the whole process of addiction and recovery have brought them to a better place in life than they would have obtained without it, and so they are grateful. You may not be a drunk, but can you be grateful for your own suffering?