The Butterfly: A Symbol of Hope, A Symbol of New Life

by:  Eunice Brown

The butterfly lays a tiny dewdrop of an egg on a juicy milkweed leaf. Inside

the egg is her baby. When the baby hatches, however, she is not a beautiful

butterfly like her mother. She is a caterpillar who eats and chews on the

milkweed leaf for two weeks. The caterpillar's skin doesn't grow with her,

so she has to take it off, she spins a little thread, clings to it, puffs air

under her old skin until it splits. She stretches and twists, until she

emerges dressed in a new larger skin. She eats, grows, and changes her skin

three times.

Then she hides herself in a dark, cool place and spins a little button,

hooking herself there. Once again she crawls from her skin, but this time

takes off her caterpillar feet, head and horns. Underneath is a cocoon,

hanging by a black thread. She hangs for days in stillness, no longer a

caterpillar, but a chrysalis, preparing her secret. Then one day a head can

be seen - a foot comes out. She struggles and struggles. She must pump

something from her body into her wings to strengthen them. After a long time

she emerges, fanning her wings slowly to dry them. Then she rests for hours.

This beautiful butterfly has never flown. She had done nothing but a

"caterpillar crawl". Finally she soars into the air as though she has been

flying forever.

We might be tempted to help release the butterfly from her cocoon. it is

human nature to want to assist, but if we do, she will fall to the ground and

die. By the struggle to free herself, she strengthens her wings enough to

survive and fly.

Grief is certainly like this process. We feel ugly, we change, we hide, we

sometimes spin a cocoon around ourselves, and we struggle. Like the

butterfly, we need to free ourselves. It takes a long time. There is a

difference, however, others may help us as we struggle. We need not do it

all alone as the butterfly does; but the ultimate responsibility is ours. We

have to grieve, hurt, cry, be angry and struggle to free ourselves from the

cocoon of grief. And one day we emerge - a beautiful butterfly - a stronger

person, a more compassionate person, a more understanding person.

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"A butterfly lights beside us like a sunbeam.

And for a brief moment its' glory and

beauty belong to our world.,

But then it flies on again and

though we wish it could have stayed,

we feel so lucky to have seen it."

(unknown)

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