Inspiration – If You Look, You’ll Find It.
Advise From A Buttefly
Springtime is here and the weather is warming up. As we all emerge from winter into the rainy season, I hear talks of healing and transformations as we transition out of winter. Even I have written a newsletter or two about how healing transformations can be scary because of the darkness we must traverse before emerging as a butterfly.
Recently I had an amazing conversation with a friend who is an Entomologist. For those of you wondering what that word means, it is someone who studies insects! She’s absolutely fascinated by them and has even collected a few as pets, even gone as far as to breeding Praying Mantis! One day we were discussing how people go through transformations and how we akin it to butterflies emerging changed and beautiful. She told me there was actually more to it that we don’t see. When a butterfly first comes out of the chrysalis it’s called “Eclosion.” During this time, they are at their most vulnerable. Yes, the once-caterpillar comes out a beautiful butterfly, but their wings are still wet and crinkled. The new butterfly needs to find a safe location for their wings to expand and dry which could take either minutes or hours. Walking around with these wings still misshaped is extremely difficult, almost impossible. If there isn’t enough space, the wings will dry crinkled and the butterfly will never be able to fly. If it’s raining and the butterfly gets wet, they’ll have to wait longer for the wings to dry. If a predator finds them while they wait, they are dead. This part of the process cannot be skipped or rushed; it is part of the metamorphosis. However, with people, we expect ourselves and others to emerge from the transformation ready to fly, but that’s not how it works. Just because we acquire new skills doesn’t mean we can use them at their full potential right away. And just like the butterfly, everyone moves at their own pace. It might take one person a few weeks, and another a few years, yet neither are good or bad. It’s dependent on what you worked so hard to create for yourself while transforming and if something catastrophic happens during this vulnerable time, it may seem like all that work in the chrysalis was for nothing. But that’s not true, it was just a setback.
There should be patience, understanding and compassion for the Eclosion period. Our wings are there, they’re just not fully expanded and dry. Resentment of this stage won’t make the wings expand any faster, so this vulnerable state should be treated with the same love and respect as all stages of healing.
This conversation was so eye opening and helpful. It makes me happy that I get to share this wisdom with all of you. Every step of our journey is our own and we need to show it the same love and respect we show others. No two people are going through the same thing and that’s ok! I hope you all take the time to show yourselves some love as we all heal. Be sure to tell someone you love them! I love you all!
-Rimi Inti