The butterfly is a symbol of transformation. It is fragile, yet can make a journey of thousands of miles. Sometimes when we look at a butterfly, we may think it so delicate that it couldn’t survive one day, but in truth, the butterfly may make it from one Spring to the next.

The butterfly goes through a life cycle that takes it from teeny egg, to caterpillar, to chrysalis, to an adult.

In many ways our life cycle is very similar to that of the butterfly. We start off in the womb, then we come into this world and learn from our experiences. Depending on how we move through our life, we may find ourselves at a point where we suddenly want to look back, and see how things have shaped us. We decide that we want to grow and benefit from all our experiences, good or bad, and we make a choice to move forward.

It is the difficulties and the heartache, along with the joys, that have made us who we are. It is through this understanding that we undergo transformation.

Now something that many may not know about the butterfly is that when it is breaking out of its chrysalis, it is a long and difficult process. The butterfly really struggles to break free. So you could say that it earns its colors through this experience. If you were to take the chrysalis and break it open, thinking that it would make the process easier, you would actually cripple the butterfly. The butterfly would never be able to spread it wings, it would never make the journey of a thousand miles. It would die, its colors never seen by the world.

With the best of intentions, we try to make life easier for others. This can be valuable and necessary because sometimes life can get so difficult that the only way we can survive is through the help and kindnesses of others. But at times we may find ourselves believing that a friend or loved one should be living their life the way we want them to rather then living a life of their own choosing. We think we know what is best, and want them to do it our way, for their own good of course! But in doing so, we may be robbing them of a valuable life experience. We may be taking away their chance to learn strength, compassion, and honor. We may be crippling them, so that they can never make their own journey of a thousand miles.

Each and every one of us is in the process of transformation. We are earning our colors, and gaining strength to spread our wings and fly. Through this process it’s important that we support each other without controlling each other. It is only through love and understanding that we help each other to fly.