“Every seed destroys its container or else there would be no fruition.” – Florida Scott-Maxwell
Life is full of problems, dilemmas and situations that can leave us mentally and emotionally staggered. Those problematic occurrences bring forth feelings similar to that of claustrophobia where a person becomes panicked by his or her small surroundings. But what that anxious feeling from enclosure can produce is what’s important.
Two of the truest meanings of life are to grow and change. Look no further than the caterpillar. The herbivore doesn’t exist only to crawl about, eating leaves and, unknowingly, doing its best to avoid being crushed by things larger than itself. After a period of time, the caterpillar purposely cocoons itself during what is known as the “chrysalis” stage. The cramped dwelling becomes a time of its continued metamorphosis. It grows larger and stronger until the end result where it is able to burst free – completing its change into a beautiful butterfly.
The life of a caterpillar is no different than ours’. We go through continuous changes, avoiding dangers and hazards before we come to a point where we are cocooned. But unlike the caterpillar, the natural instinct to accept the circumstance and grow from it can before pushed to the side. Instead of bursting free and showing the world what time has helped groom, we can get stuck in our chrysalis stage. It’s up to us, no matter the cause, to break free from our shell and experience life as best we can; just like a hatching butterfly.
