Lingering Pains

Even on the other side of a painful situation, the pains of the ordeal can linger.
It's been eight and a half years since my daughter was born. In some ways it feels like forever and in others, only moments. I'm sure it's that way for most parents. 
But that also means it's been over nine years since I dealt with infertility problems. Almost a decade. So what brought them to my mind again now?
Bills.
No, I'm not still getting bills from way back then, although it wouldn't necessarily surprise me, considering how long it sometimes takes doctors to bill for things. I found some bills buried in old tax paperwork.

You only have to keep so many years' worth of documents for taxes and then you can shred the ones older. I guess I was in a spring cleaning mood the other day when I put up our paperwork for this year. I dug through the old folders of previous years and pulled out the oldest to discard. And, as I was feeding the shredder, I realized what some of it was.
Not just receipts and notations for business expenses. Medical expenses. For the shots I had to give myself. For the extra blood draws and ultrasounds and other misery-inducing procedures we went through back then. And tears started welling in my eyes.
Why?
I have two beautiful children. All the things I went through finally worked. I am so blessed beyond measure.
But those pains are still there. The memories of how hard it was back then. The hopes every month that crashed with one little test. And all the emotions are wrapped up in those memories.
Don't get me wrong. I'm fine. And in some ways, I'm even glad we had to go through some of that. Because it brought my husband and me closer. And it gave me a better appreciation for the blessings living in my house and leaving messes everywhere. But in other ways, I will never forget the pain of those years. And I hope I don't.
Because I plan to use those experiences to help others who have to go through anything similar. Isn't that what God basically says we should do in the first chapter of II Corinthians? 

"Blessed by the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God." (II Cor 1:3-4)

Yep. God helped me through that time. And now, I hope I can help someone else too.
My lingering pains are there, but they don't last long. Just enough to remind me. So that I can be empathetic and loving.
Have you gone through something traumatic and depressing and still feel a pain or two on the other side? Do you use it to help others going through similar pains? I hope you do!

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And just in case you wondered, yes. I did include infertility struggles in two of my books. It was therapy for me to write it, especially since I was still struggling through it at the time. And I hope my characters will help someone else through it too.