Butterflies

As the story goes… there was once a man who stumbled upon a cocoon of a butterfly.  Interested in the nature of things, he carefully picked it up and took it home to observe.  One day, a small opening appeared at the base of the cocoon.  The man watched with awe as the full-grown butterfly began its journey into the world. 

However, much to the man’s chagrin, the butterfly struggled as it attempted to force its body through the tiny hole.  Time passed and the butterfly appeared to stop making progress altogether.  Seemingly stuck and lifeless, the man surmised that butterfly was surely going to die.

            Unwilling to stand idle, the well-intentioned man took out a pair of scissors and carefully snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon.  The butterfly slipped through the hole effortlessly.  However, it had a swollen body paired with small, shriveled legs.
            The man continued to watch the butterfly earnestly.  He expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge and the body would contract.  Unfortunately, the man’s wishes never came true.  On the contrary, the butterfly spent the rest of its life grounded, unable to soar.
            In his haste, the man never considered that the restricted cocoon and the butterfly’s struggle through the tiny opening were God’s way of forcing fluid from the butterfly’s body into its wings.  In this way, the natural hardships the butterfly endured prepared it perfectly for a future of flight and freedom.
            Life, in its complexity, gifts us with innumerable joys and yet it also delivers somber challenges.  As the butterfly struggles to free itself from the limitations of its cocoon, people often struggle as they transition into a new way of life.  These changes are not easy to endure.  However, just as the butterfly, we have the ability transform and emerge from the darkest of days with our bodies renewed, our wings strong and our legs steady, ready to embrace life.
            Healing from the loss of a loved one is one of the most difficult transitions you'll ever encounter.  It is my wish that you find some comfort in the words and wisdom expressed here.  May God bless you as your journey through grief and recover your sense of wholeness.