March 13, 2011

Lessons of the Butterfly~

I used to read Eric Carle's book The Very Hungry Caterpillar to my children over and over. They loved the book. I loved the book; fascinated by the caterpillar becoming a butterfly. Not really understanding metamorphosis, but certainly appreciating the metaphor.

Did you know that while the caterpillar is in the chrysalis, the organs and tissues dissolve into a soup like substance?

How can this be?

Out of the soup, through some mysterious chemical process, emerges a butterfly!

I think that perhaps the challenges in our life -- our crises, tragedies, obstacles -- churn up our insides and hammers the ego into a soup, allowing the spirit to feel the breath of possibility. It seems that when we "hit bottom" a crack of light appears to encourage the metamorphosis of our spirit.

Are we going to stay a caterpillar, or are we going to become the butterfly we were meant to be?

I share one of Jesse's favorite songs by Martina McBride that speaks to her incredible spirit and our own metamorphorsis.

She's a Butterfly

She remembers when she first got her wings
And how she opened up that day
she learned to sing
Then the colors came, erased the
black and white
And her whole world changed
when she realized

[Chorus:]
She's a butterfly, pretty as the crimson sky
Nothing's ever gonna bring her down
And everywhere she goes
Everybody knows she's so glad to be alive
She's a butterfly

Like the purest light in a darkened world
So much hope inside such a lovely girl
You should see her fly, it's almost magical
It makes you wanna cry, she's so beautiful

[Chorus]

God bless the butterfly,
give her the strength to fly
Never let her wings touch the ground
God bless the butterfly,
give her strength to fly
Never let her wings touch the ground

[Chorus]

God bless the butterfly,
give her the strength to fly
Never let her wings touch the ground
God bless the butterfly,
give her the strenght to fly
Never let her wings touch the ground

God Bless you Jesse~