In the academic classroom, the instructor teaches the lessons and then the students receive the test. In the classroom of life, we’re given tests, and then the lessons follow.
All around us, there is change. The change of seasons, the ebb and flow of the ocean tide. The rising sun and the nighttime moon. The sewing of seeds and the harvesting of crops. The relationships we share, the careers we choose, the books we read, the games we play, the gadgets we buy, the movies we watch, the foods we eat. Etcetera.
The life-cycle of a butterfly is just a single illustration of how change is a constant in our lives and the world around us. The life-cycle begins with an egg, then hatches into a caterpillar. The caterpillar then eats, grows, and changes into a chrysalis. Inside the chrysalis, a beautiful butterfly is growing. Finally, it emerges.
Was there any resistance when the egg was hatched into a caterpillar? Or when the caterpillar transformed into a chrysalis? Each stage was necessary for the emergence of the beautiful butterfly. Can we as humans mirror the patience and acceptance of the life-cycle of the butterfly?
We can embrace the changes that are happening in our lives. Change is constant and necessary for our growth, and we can allow it to empower us. Change brings us life lessons; sometimes those lessons are visible to us right away, sometimes we have to search for them, and sometimes it might take a long period before we even see them.
We can break away from the fear, resistance, and denial that tend to cripple us emotionally as change comes our way. The lessons we learn are not just for us, but for the benefit of those around us as well. Let each transition empower us to accept the detours, dark alleys, speed bumps, unpaved trails, hilly terrains, pot-holes, and sharp bends as vital encounters in the trajectory of life’s journey.
45 Magazine Women's Literary Journal 