I am a Butterfly

Butterflies have fascinated me for a while now.  Any creature that can completely reinvent itself and change into something entirely different is truly amazing.  That feat is nothing short of remarkable.

It begins its life as a caterpillar, a small wormlike creature. This creature seems rather insignificant.  It is considered a nuisance to many with its seemingly insatiable appetite for vegetation and its appearance pales in comparison to that of the butterfly that it is preparing to become.  Caterpillars have a very important job. They eat to grow and fuel their bodies for the transformation that will soon ensue.

As I think about butterflies and admire my daughter’s room that I have decorated like a butterfly utopia with butterflies and flowers adorning her walls and hanging from the ceiling I realize that people have some of the same life changing abilities. Of course, we cannot undergo a physical metamorphosis. Our bodies with two legs, two arms, one head and one heart will always remain so, but we have the ability to experience a metamorphosis of the soul.

Caterpillars enter a chrysalis and exit a beautiful butterfly ready to take flight and assume their roles in the circle of life as flower pollinators.  It is a wondrous and seamless transition.  The caterpillar does its role by feeding its body and preparing fuel for the natural, inevitable change that will take place for it.

People can experience a very similar transformation.  Our jobs are to feed ourselves- mind, body and soul. We feed our souls by learning and absorbing everything that we can about ourselves and the world we live in.  We feed our bodies by doing exactly what I tell my children to do: eat good food, get good sleep and practice good exercise.  We feed our souls by being quiet, being aware of our thoughts, meditating and having spiritual beliefs.

We can have a metamorphosis many times over.  We need no cocoon.  We need only to wrap ourselves in the fibers of the love and warmth that we receive from our families, envelope ourselves in the joy that we experience from an uplifting activity, blanket our spirits with a feeling of freedom by dancing when there is no music or by simply being still and learning to appreciate the inspiration in silence.

Life can be an enjoyable journey.  No one has to stay a caterpillar indefinitely. We are all butterflies with innate abilities to spread our wings and soar.  All that is needed is our desire and know how to do so.

Mom, sing with me.  It’s okay if you don’t know the words.  Just sing!

~My Baby Girl 2010