Butterfly time

This is the time of year that my Little Lady used to refer to as flutter-by time.

She would often hang around the garden for hours on end just to watch the butterflies visiting flower after flower.

Her well tanned face often reflected her outdoor hours. Often she commented they were one of the most interesting creatures that live. 

Corresponding to her thoughts, and timing of season, through the magic of email and internet connections, from my Belwood bilingual friend, came forward the following; which I would feel indebted to each and every one of you if I failed to pass it along. It is one of interest and goes exactly like this:

“One day a small  opening  appeared in a cocoon; a man sat and watched for the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through that little hole.

Then it seems to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could and it could not go any further. So the man decided to help the butterfly: He took a pair of scissors and opened the cocoon. The butterfly then emerged easily.

But it had a withered body, it was tiny and had shrivelled wings.

The man continued to watch because he expected that at any moment the wings would open, enlarge, and expand to be able to support the butterfly’s body, and become firm.

Neither happened. In fact the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a withered body and shrivelled wings. It never was able to fly.

What the man, in his kindness and his good will did not understand, was the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly to get through the tiny opening were Nature’s way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings, so that it would be ready for flight, once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon.

Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our life.

If we were allowed to go through our life without any obstacles, it would cripple us. We would not be as strong as we could have been. Never been able to fly.

I asked for strength … and I was given difficulties to make me strong.

I asked for wisdom … and I was given problems to solve.

I asked for prosperity … and I was given a brain and brawn to work.

I asked for courage … and I was given obstacles to overcome.

I asked for love … and I was given troubled people to help.

I asked favours … and given opportunities.

I received nothing I wanted … but everything I needed.

Live life without fear, confront all obstacles, and know that you can overcome them.”

* * *

That in itself is pretty much life, expressed in a nutshell, as it is, and as it should be, don’t you think?

If you have not yet jumped at the opportunity of picking up a dozen or so of my three published books, to satisfy your gift list, now is the time to jump. You can always ask “How high?” On the way back down. This is the weekend  I’ll be signing them for you out there at the Grand Valley Fair. See you there.

Take care, ’cause we care.

 

 

Barrie Hopkins

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