No Easy Way

“~A man found a cocoon of a butterfly. One day a small opening appeared. He sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to squeeze its tiny body through the hole. Then it stopped, as if it couldn’t go further.

~So the man decided to help the butterfly. He took the pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bits of the cocoon. The butterfly emerged easily but it had a swollen body and shriveled wings.

~The man continued to watch it, expecting that at any minute the wings would enlarge and expand enough to support the body. Never happened! In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around. It was never able to fly.

~What the man in his kindness and haste did not understand: the restricting cocoon and the struggle required by the butterfly to get through the opening was a way of forcing the fluid from the body into the wings so that it would be ready for flight once that was achieved.

~Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our lives. Going through life with no obstacles would cripple us. We would not be as strong as we could have been and we would never fly~.”

~~I found this wonderful short story online doing some research. I had never seen it before now. The original author said unknown. I am not exactly sure who to credit this to but I can relate to its story absolutely and completely. I have always loved butterflies. Their beautiful colors hypnotize my eyes. The graceful way they fly is effortless and happy. To me, butterflies represent courage, strength, and change. To start one way and do a radical transformation as they do is astounding. I am fascinated by its relativity, its human-like qualities.

~My train of thought is I wouldn’t have learned what I needed to if my process of emerging was cut short or made easy. Even when I hit rock bottom, God was and is there with me. All hope is not lost. Cocoons are dark and dingy business but there is always a plan laid out. The hard part is hanging on long enough to see the light. The light of change. The light of day. Only I can do the work necessary to squeeze through the growing pains. This process is not easy. It never is. Just like the butterfly grapples and struggles, so do I.

~When life gets me into a cocoon state of mind, I remember it is part of a process much bigger than me. I cannot see what is down the pipe at that time. I have to have faith. I love that faith the size of a mustard seed can move mountains and can get me through my metamorphosis (and I consider my faith bigger than that). I may go through more than one transformation to learn the same lesson. That’s okay as long as I stay focused. Hardships can make or break a person. If the easy way out is chosen or if allow someone to choose it for me, then I have cut myself short. My wings will never learn to fly that way.

~The struggle is real and necessary. I know that now. The design of the butterfly’s wings are earned. The beautiful hues unique to each scratch, strain, and scar received during that difficult journey of self discovery. But, once I got through it, I realized how much better off I am. I have learned compassion and empathy thanks to what I have been through physically and emotionally. I have learned endurance and strength thanks to the time it took to learn and relearn what was needed. I have learned to forgive and pray for those that have harmed me. I have learned to appreciate and enjoy the moments here on earth. Moments are all the butterfly has. I have decided to cherish each and every single one of them…Good or bad. Fly on butterflies!!!

LupusMariposa® #LupusButterfly #Cocoons #Transformation #Growth #SelfDiscovery #FlyHigh