One Butterfly's Struggle

Butterflies are a beautiful symbol of change and growth.  My daughter recently got one of those butterfly hatching kits.   We have been watching them change and grow everyday.   They began to 'hatch' this week.  Most of them struggle and then emerge from their hanging chrysalis and spread their wings until they are ready to fly.

One butterfly had a different journey. 

This butterfly's chrysalis broke off at the top when it was struggling to get free.   For the past two days, it has been gradually freeing itself bit by bit from the chrysalis.  It has been a rough struggle.  Just today, the butterfly got it's head out, and can now walk around the habitat.  This got me to thinking.   Life is full of struggles.  But sometimes, for whatever reason, we may struggle a little more than others.  Change may be a bit more of a battle for us.

At first, I felt bad for this butterfly.    I wanted to try and free it from it's chrysalis.   But I was worried I might harm it in the process.  So I kept checking on it, and hoped that it would be okay.

 

 

But now, I admire this butterfly.   This butterfly is a fighter.   The struggle has made it strong.

 

My struggles have made me strong too.   

 

 

 

 

Sometimes life seems full of struggles and storms.   Sometimes it seems like other people don't have to struggle as much as we do.  

 

 

I don't know why these hard times come.   But they do.   I often hate them when they are here.   But I try to have faith that better times will come, and that the storm will diminish.  Some of my greatest struggles have brought me the greatest gifts.  And, in their own way, they have made me stronger.  This is what gives me hope when I can't see the sun.

 

And I know that I am a fighter.  It could be that mental illness was my broken chrysalis.   I had to struggle a little more to emerge alive.  It held me in it's grasp for a time.  I had to struggle to stand up.  But now I am strong.  I believe in my ability to handle life.  I have faith in a better tomorrow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And now, a message from our life coach cats:

 

 

When you can't see the sun, faith and hope become your light.