Chrysalis
August 8, 2008 – 12:41 pm
Gulf Fritillary Chrysalis
Most mornings I really don’t know what will grab my attention until it happens but today I already knew what I wanted to send. Walking around yesterday, battening down the hatches in preparation for a storm, I came upon today’s photo.
Some of my avid gardening friends may look at it and say, “oh yeah, a chrysalis, big deal,” but to me, it’s always wonderful to happen upon a butterfly-to-be. I believe many of us can relate to the transformative symbolism. I read recently that a caterpillar forms its protective shell and then completely liquefies inside before reforming itself into a butterfly. Scientists still do not understand the process. But think about that for just a moment. Metaphorically this process also occurs in humans.
When we experience a life-altering event, the birth of a child, the death of a loved one, a milestone birthday, it can shake us to the very core, knocking us off our feet and erasing all of our preconceived notions. Like the caterpillar, we too can lose all sense of self. What we once knew to be fact no longer seems plausible and life can seem to lose all direction. Swimming around in the shock of the event can be a very powerful and overwhelming period. The world seems to split into an outer world of noise and an inner world of your own experience, be it joy or pain. Life breaks down to its very essence forcing us to discover what is most valuable to us as individuals. At moments like this we are most vulnerable and yet also most receptive to redefining ourselves. As Ralph Metzner put it, ” we can use the opportunity for self-absorption or self-confrontation.”
As humans we often dismiss the importance of such an experience or misinterpret it as something broken that needs to be fixed. But if we are lucky, we can accept the lesson of the chrysalis: that with the love and protection of those around us, we can use the opportunity to let go of who we were and transform ourselves into something new and beautiful like the butterfly.
One Response to “Chrysalis”
What a gorgeous photo Trish…..I sure can relate to your homage today…….thanks….
By Judy on Aug 8, 2008