A life of rainbows and butterflies?

Texture by Kim Klassen; waterfront 7, 50% screen

Life Lessons from a Butterfly

Let go of the past
Trust the future
Come out of the cocoon
Ride the breeze
Savor the flowers
Put on your brightest colors
Let you beauty show
~Unknown

Summer has ended and we’re savoring the last remnants of the season. A few flowers are still hanging in there, but soon the nights will be getting too chilly. Recently, we took a short get-away trip to Branson and I was struck by how many butterflies were flitting around. Flower beds at a popular shopping area were covered in Monarchs and other winged friends taking advantage of the last of the nectar and early seed pods.

Watching butterflies is very relaxing, isn’t it? It seems like they don’t have a care in the world. Rainbows and butterflies is an expression to describe life that is easy, carefree and blessed. And taking time to watch these creatures seems to give a sense of peace and calm to our hectic days.

But when you really stop and think about it, life as a butterfly is about the farthest thing from easy and calm as it can be. What looks to be carefree drifting on the breeze is actually an everyday fight for life.

Caterpillars live to eat. And when they successfully avoid the many predators that can end their life, they encase themselves to begin the miracle of transformation. Completely liquifying their fat, bunchy body inside the cocoon, they emerge into a beautiful, delicate-winged miracle that can take to the sky minutes after its rebirth. But the fight continues. Birds, spiders, other predatory insects….as well as car grills and tires are a constant threat to survival every second of their life. Their only food source is temporary and they know they need to complete their mission soon. Urgency is the driving force behind every seemingly carefree butterfly.

And what about those rainbows? Beautiful color arches in the sky, they never appear on clear, bright, sunny days, do they? They only materialize after a period of dark clouds and storms. The birth of a rainbow is the result of chaotic conditions in nature that are sometimes extremely violent.

So maybe there are a few more lessons we can learn from those butterflies…and from rainbows as well.

Wishing you all a life of rainbows and butterflies….

Linking up with Texture Twist, Texture Tuesday and Life Through the Lens