Butterflies

        Their lifespan is not so long, but butterflies bring such beauty and grace in that time. Some seldom notice, but they are like the note of a song drifting by. Just as in humans, and other species, they come in different sizes, shapes, and colors. They need no humming sound to draw attention as their colors and graceful flight draws our attention.

        Butterflies are a lesson in their development. We're aware of their cocoon and the difference in their appearance as they develop. Certainly, to observe their beginning would in no way prepare us for the beauty they will develop. It is that way with the human spirit. It can be quite crude in some ways, it can need polishing and development, it is rather like a diamond in the rough or a butterfly at its beginning. We can't see what we will develop into nor can we see what we have become because, for the most part, we are too much involved in the experiencing, the growing, the spinning of our daily lives to even begin to imagine what the end result might become. We may not be able to see ourselves as graceful or even beautiful. yet know it to be true, that there are those whose beauty is great but it is unknown to earth eyes.

        We obviously need to be more grounded than the butterfly that flies in erratic patterns or toward a designated inner destination, but we can let our spirit soar like the butterfly and let its beauty shine. How do we do that? Just be your best self. Be what you are, be You, be the expression you are. Feel good about sharing and doing, about learning and growing. Be aware that your spirit's beauty is there no matter how undeveloped it may seem to the outside world. And how do we fly as carefree as the butterfly? That is harder to do. It takes time and patience, time set aside to let the mind roam free and the body to rest, time to just be, with no goals, no deadlines to meet, no jobs that must be done, just time to become aware of You. People are generally uncomfortable when beauty is spoken of because the society has certain standards which are shown in every conceivable way, yet beauty is intangible as well as tangible. When you are weighed down with the cares and responsibilities of the day, try this little experiment. Close your eyes and picture a butterfly. Make it colorful if you can. Looking at your forehead, your mind's eye, just see an image of it there and then watch it fly. You may find that you feel you are flying along with it. Enjoy the flight and remember what you see.