Chrysalis

In my garden today I stumbled upon a beautifully metamorphic reminder of the work to be done in one's life. A remarkable chrysalis hung by what seemed the most precarious attachment to one of my favorite lavender plants. There was something so profound about this little discovery that I sat transfixed. The transformation that was occurring right next to me for this tiny creature was life altering. This metamorphosis does not occur because of external forces; it has to be done within. For a caterpillar to transform it must literally digest itself. It releases enzymes that dissolve all of its tissues. However, the contents of the pupa are not an entirely amorphous mess. Certain highly organized groups of cells known as imaginal discs survive the digestive process and become the building blocks of the new form. All this to say, in order for this tiny creature to fulfill its destiny of flight it must strip away the parts of its former self that no longer serve and reorganize within. I began to think about my own metamorphosis. Life always has a funny way of shutting me down when I take on too much, push myself a little too far or simply need to integrate a lesson. I get a swift and humbling reminder of the power of the cocoon. This incredible period of darkness is when the soul incubates. WIthout this space and silence to reflect, incorporation and growth will never occur. We must be able to sit with all of the pain and all of the exquisite joy and allow it to saturate our being....only then can you emerge with the wisdom of that particular lesson and test the newly formed wings that grant you flight.