The Crippled Butterfly

A man found a cocoon of a butterfly. One day a small opening appeared. He sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through that little hole. Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could and it could go no farther. So, the man was impatient and wanted to see that butterfly break loose at that moment. He took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon. The butterfly then emerged easily. But it had a swollen body, and small-shriveled wings. He continued to watch the butterfly, because he expected that at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand to support the body, which would contract in time. Neither happened! In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled wings. It was never able to fly. What he had done in his haste, what he did not understand was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required to get through the tiny opening were nature's way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into it's wings so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved it's freedom from the cocoon.

Understanding not to rush the seasons in our life is exactly what we need to figure out in order not to cripple ourselves. What we may think are unbearable struggles and obstacles are really events that make us strong. Take your time and know you are exactly where you are supposed to be.

Don't rush and don't force the seasons of your life.

Dr. Earl Reum