Anyone who really knows me knows that I am random. I can be easily distracted by squirrels, puppies and butterflies, drawn to their seemingly random patterns and actions.  Something that my mom and I have in common is our love of birds and butterflies.  I adore butterflies, I will stop everything that I am doing to marvel at their magnificent hues and delicate nature. My sister and I share an affinity for many things, seafood, wine, happy hours and the occasional tattoo. Several months ago we went to our favorite tattoo parlor, The Electric Chair, for late night sister time.  While there we both got inspirational tattoos, hers was words of faith, mine was a butterfly. 

But there is/was more to it than the beauty that is found in a butterfly that influenced my decision to permanently ink myself with one.  It is the metamorphosis process that they go through that touches my spirit.  Butterflies start as something else ( as we all do); they begin life as caterpillars, not so attractive, inching along little caterpillars.  They are unappreciated, unattractive and just inch along without a notion that all of the negativity is working for their good.  They then take all of their life experiences, wrapping it all around them, creating a cocoon around themselves and there they wait.  They are forgotten about, people pass by and don’t give them a second glance but to say, “Oh, there is a caterpillar in there” and keep walking. Not realizing that there is a very important process occurring beyond the cocoon walls.  Eventually, the cocoon cracks and out emerges this magnificent butterfly, wholly a different creature on the outside but with the life experiences of the caterpillar it once was.  It is delicate and fragile, struggling to break free of the prison that held them for so long.  Once free, it has exhausted all of its strength pulling free from the cocoon, and its wings are wet and need time to dry and harden so that they can fly.  This time is critical, as if its wings are touched or don’t dry correctly they will never take flight, they will never live up to their purpose.

( Come here children) We are the same way, we go through life at times unwanted, unappreciated, called every name but the child of God.  We internalize all of that, we wrap these things around us and as we move through the maze of existence, we are moving closer and closer to the purpose that He has for our lives.  Each of our experiences is a step in the process of our metamorphosis.  All of those things, those circumstances, those situations that are adversarial to us, are just one more layer on the cocoon.  Eventually you will emerge in all of your beautiful splendor, and the struggle to break free of your past will be worth it. My life as a caterpillar has been much longer that I expected it to be; my life experiences, situations and circumstances have nearly broken me but I am about to wrap myself up in my cocoon.  Each thing that comes up is another protective layer that will block all the external forces and influences as I make my change.  But oh, when I emerge later on, I will be so much better than I am now!!  I will be beautiful, inside and out and will be “flying” in the purpose that God has for my life. 

So my butterfly represents the change that is ongoing and that is to come, a reminder that the fight will be worth it because I will emerge as a new me.

Blessings and Happiness

T. Nicole