Tips for being “Brave as a Butterfly”
Welcome the struggle in your growth
Gather strength as you grow for your flight
Feel the warmth and the light as it surrounds you
Listen for the voices calling you to soar
Share your strength with those who need your inspiration
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In the darkness of the chrysalis, the transforming butterfly struggled to become, to grow, to reinvent herself with dazzling colors and the flight of freedom. “What if I fail?” she whispered to the old tree. “What if I’m not good enough?” she pleaded to the wise sun. “What if I’m not ready?” she cried out to the shifting winds who shook the leaf she called home. The sleepy moon, tossing and turning as he was changing shifts with the sun, gently spilled moonbeams onto the shaking cocoon. “Now, now,” he whispered. The cocoon began to cry and became even darker. The moon knew this dark color of the caterpillar meant a remarkable transformation called metamorphosis was occurring. During this very dark time in her life the caterpillar would molt and shed her skin numerous times. “You’re undergoing so many changes, while you’re becoming. Your tissues and limbs and organs are growing and transforming,” the moon assured her. “But oh, this struggle, it’s all too much. I’m so exhausted, so confused, scared and lonely. I’m feeling incredibly sad, like I am dormant with no purpose.” The moon glanced at the sun with an empathetic smile.
The sun spoke, “Oh, dear one, it is your time! This darkness, this sad, despondent time of ebbing and flowing to bring you through the struggle, is helping you to grow and transform. Maybe it’s a devastating loss, a childhood trauma, or a disease of the body or soul. Regardless of your hurt, the only way to become is to go through it.” “But who will believe in me? Who will believe that my transformation will bring new life?” The emerging butterfly’s voice was now crackling and changing tones. “I believe in you,” cheered the sun. “I believe in you,” whispered the moon. “We believe in you,” danced the flowers and flowing rivers and birds soaring and singing. Then, all of a sudden, everything grew still. The emerging butterfly, changing colors and saying goodbye to the cocoon that cradled her, listened to the echoes of butterflies chanted from long ago, “It’s time to unravel the things you have heard, seen, learned and felt from wounded people. Hurt, scars and betrayal bogs the body’s mind, body and energy. Be the man you needed as a boy; be the woman you needed as a girl. Be brave as a butterfly and learn through change and loss and brokenness to reinvent yourself. Darkness. Struggle. Growth. Transformation.” And with one final push, like a brave woman bringing new life into this world, the butterfly emerged, taking her first flight, gasping for air, then soaring with full inspiration for others to continue the brave transformation.
In that moment the butterfly remembered the sun’s words about ebbing and flowing and being “your time.” So, she circled around a grieving mama whose 19-year-old son died the year before, and who was aimlessly walking in her garden with tears in her eyes pleading similar questions. The butterfly remembered the lesson of darkness, struggle, growth, and transformation and knew whether weeks or months or years, she would inspire this mama to hold that sacred space with others. And the mama took notice of the butterfly and invited her and others to share their flight of freedom and beautiful inspiration so one day, even in the midst of ebbing and flowing, she too could tell the story about how to be brave as a butterfly.