"Life is lived forward, but understood backward. It is not until we are down the road and we stand on the mountain looking back through the valley that we can appreciate the terrain God has allowed us to scale.” Jill Savage

Monday, March 10, 2008

~ Metamorphosis ~

Along a dusty road in India there sat a beggar who sold cocoons. A young boy watched him day after day, and the beggar finally beckoned to him. "Do you know what beauty lies within this ugly chrysalis? I will give you one so that you might see for yourself. But, you must be careful not to handle the cocoon until after the butterfly comes out." The boy was enchanted with the gift and hurried home to await the butterfly. He laid the cocoon on the floor and became aware of a curious thing. The butterfly was beating its fragile wings against the hard wall of the chrysalis until it appeared it would surely perish before it could break the unyielding prison. Wanting only to help, the boy swiftly pried the cocoon open. Out plopped a wet, brown, ugly thing which quickly died. When the beggar discovered what had happened, he explained to the boy, "In order for the butterfly's wings to grow strong enough to support him, it i necessary that he eat them against the walls of the cocoon. Only by this struggle can his wings become beautiful and durable. When you denied him that struggle, you took away from him his only chance of survival."


I read something the other day - it talked about the value of routines. Yes, there is great comfort in routines. I like to have a routine sometimes myself, but in my life personally, I've had to learn how to handle change as my routine is always changing because of unforeseen circumstances. If I didn't learn to bend, I'd break.

What about change? Is change good? Changing is a choice. Some people choose to stay the same and some people choose to change. Why is that?

I suppose if you have had a really rounded, well adjusted life - from childhood and beyond - maybe there would be no 'need' to change, especially if you're happy and content with the way you are and the way your life is going.
But, what if you didn't have that really rounded, well adjusted life - from childhood and beyond? Would you want to repair your life and move forward? Maybe you've reached a certain point or crossroads and you see your life isn't the life you wanted or the way it should be - would you want to change it?
Maybe you just want to enrich your life - you want to grow, do different things, and feel more. Would you want to change then?
Only you can decide what you need in life. Personally I think of change as necessary as breathing!
The thing I learned a long time ago was not to judge (or try not to judge). No two heads, no matter how close they are together, can see the same exact thing at the same time. And unless you walk the exact same walk as another, you can't really understand that person's personal journey and what makes them tick. There are two sides to every coin. Nothing is black or white - there are many shades of gray. You have to learn gray.
There are many things that happen in our life that cause us pain. These things can change our lives forever. While struggle isn't great, it is good. Like the butterfly, unless we bat our wings and keep trying we will never get strong enough to take on life.

So these writings are for people who seek change and acceptance. I try to fill it with hope from someone who has been in many hard places herself and I'm in the process of relearning how to live. I'm a middle-ager, but know I have less time going forward then I've spent behind me.

I try to be positive, while still being human. I add quotes and poems to make you think. Meditations for your soul and stories to help us learn. It's not only for you - it's for me - it changes me too! Music is the language of my soul - it speaks to me sometimes more than words can ever say. It's a record of what I am feeling and thinking at the time.

I hope you enjoy.

Love,

Chatty

No comments: