Monday, April 30, 2012

Butterfly-Transformation


The Ebb and Flow of Our Lives Through the Eyes of Metaphors
There are times in our life, when metaphors help us to make sense of how we are being guided by spirit to be the best we can be. In the month of April, I will be exploring the metaphors of my life and hopefully, you will find connections to your own life or to your own spiritual path. Or you will share with us the metaphors that guide your spirit, your muse, your way of being and way of knowing in this life we all share, on this earth we all call mother, on this journey we are all privy to.
Past Present and Future
Past-Present-Future (c)

Butterfly-Transformation
"If nothing ever changed, there'd be no butterflies.  ~Author Unknown"

Butterflies offer the ultimate metaphor because they undergo a true transformation. Starting off as a caterpillar and transforming into a beautiful butterfly is one of the few transformations in nature that we are privy to see and experience on a regular basis. The life cycle of a caterpillar/butterfly is a thing of beauty of behold and majestic in its own right. The transformation is complete, beautiful and a miracle to behold and allows us to experience, first hand, what it takes to transform our own lives.

In reality, when you are ready to undergo a change in your life, your transformation is much like the transformation of a butterfly. You have to have some down time, like being in a cocoon, and then there is the pain of rebirth or coming alive again as a whole new you. We see it when individuals undergo cancer treatments and survive. It is a painful, heart wrenching experience, but one that many people say transforms their life for the better. They are in appreciation, they live in gratitude for one more day and they stop taking life for granted.

The Women Inside
The Women Inside

"There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it's going to be a butterfly."  ~Richard Buckminster Fuller

The same is true of those who have survived a divorce. The experience is heartfelt and difficult and requires a lot of courage to get up and face the day, everyday, but in the end, most people say that they are stronger for the experience. They are not the same person, they have had to survive a transformation and it is very difficult.

Death and the grieving process is one of transformation as well. It can be the death of a child, a parent, a beloved pet, a long term spouse, or a newlywed spouse, and the transformation is the same. These are events that mark our lives forever. As before my mom passed away...Before I become a motherless daughter...Before I had to learn how to be a matriarch in the family.
All of these transformations leave us marred and scarred for life, but in a good way. We are never the same again, but then we would not want to trade in our caterpillar feet for our butterfly wings. These transformations truly do allow us to fly and soar and be closer to our mission and purpose in life.

What transformations have you undergone?
What types of transitions have you thrived from?

Con un pan y cafecito,
Seguimos adelante,
Zulmara Maria


Más vale tarde que nuncaBetter late than never
(c) Artowrk for this blog was graciously provided by Ana Julia Darias Fishman an artist on Art by Latina Artists.

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