Why Butterfly? Why?

What's good?     Butterfly.

What's bad?       The ice cream is all the way out in the kitchen.

What's the difference?  Nothing, they have absolutely nothing to do with each other.


Why Butterfly, you ask?  Ok, so maybe you didn't ask that.  But I'll tell you anyway.  

About six years ago I went through a small Zen-ish phase.  You'll find I have many "ish" phases in my life, some ishier than others.  I bought a book, I researched how to arrange your home and what items to put in it.  I think I even put a couple of said items on a dresser, but I don't remember.  Although I found it interesting at the time, I don't remember much of what I learned.  At least not the details.

One detail, though, has never left my mind.  And frequently pops back into the forefront of my thoughts at random times.  That is the symbolism behind the butterfly.  And why I like it so much.

Butterflies are pretty.  But I'm not enamored of them because their prettiness goes so well with my princess dress as I twirl about the room.  I don't even own a princess dress....but I think I'd like one some day.

No, butterflies intrigue me because their entire existence is about evolving. Evolving into something more, something completely different, something seemingly unattainable.

Think about it, it starts off as this creepy, crawly, fuzzy worm with many legs.  It laboriously scuttles from leaf, to branch, to grass blade.  Its only view of life is what is in front of its eyes that it can eat.  It fears becoming the cat's next toy, the bottom of a shoe's next mess to clean up, or that bird's next meal.  Its every moment is a struggle against everything.

And, evidently, that all becomes too much for it.  It curls itself into a ball, fighting mightily to ignore the world, to ignore the harshness of life.  It builds a shell to aid in this battle, to help protect it from so much reality.  

There it huddles, staring blindly into the dark night after night, shuddering through it's thoughts and memories.  It relives every mistake, every near-miss, every hurt, experiencing them all again.  It fears all that exists beyond the safety of its cushioned walls, the walls around its body, its mind, its heart.  It asks itself why, how, and what next.  

Until finally, it learns to accept and begins to come to terms with all of existence.  It starts to understand its triumphs, its successes, and fondly remembers moments of happiness.  It realizes giving up under the weight of all that bad was just too easy.  It's better than that, stronger than that, and has good memories to support those feelings.

One day, a crack appears in that thick layer of protection.  Realizing it's no longer needed, it dries up and withers away.  And there we see......No, not our many-legged, creepy, crawly, fuzzy worm, though maybe, in retrospect, it's not such a worm after all.  No, instead we see two beautiful wings, stretching out, softly waving about that body.

And then it's off, fluttering about the yard, flitting from leaf to branch to blade of grass.  Not in fear, oh no, but in wonderment.  It wants to see it all, taste it all, experience it all.  As it learns to use its wings, it floats above the surface of the lawn enjoying the view, gazing eagerly at all there is to see.  Then it arcs up into the sky, flying as high as it chooses with nothing to hold it back.  It soars over the hedge and can finally see what that shiny stuff is in the neighbor's yard.

And that's why I like the butterfly, it evolves.  It evolves from one thing to another completely different thing to yet a third completely different thing.  And it never gives up.  It may take a break for a bit, but it never gives up.  It always tries for more.  

I think I need to be reminded of that every now and then.  Maybe we all do.

Now, did I ask a caterpillar and butterfly what they were thinking and feeling?  Why, yes.  Yes, I did.  Not really, just kidding.  But in my mind, that's what it felt and thought.

And I still want a princess dress.



As always, take your time leaving but hurry on back.  :)