Butterflies

LIFE OF A BUTTERFLY

What does it tell us?

We love butterflies for their beautiful & brightly-colored wings, and we’re intrigued by fact that the fabulous flyers began their existence as something completely different. Their 4-stage life cycle is such an amazing journey - from egg to caterpillar to pupa and finally to the adult butterfly.

This process of changing shapes & forms, the metamorphosis, shows how beings can grow & transform over time. I’m unsure why the insects are called butterflies since they don’t look like flying butter and they don’t eat butter. What I do know is that the creatures have extremely short life spans - an average of 2 weeks, and never more than a year.

And what does that tell us? Time is of essence, and we shouldn’t waste it on directionless and meaningless pursuits.

Imagine the stage when the creature emerges from the cocoon in its unfurling glory, after undergoing a massive transition.

Imagine too the whole of our life changing to such an extreme that we’re totally unrecognizable at the end of the transformation. I begin to think of the symbolic lesson we could get here - we need to accept the changes in our lives, with or without events such as the current pandemic, as casually as a butterfly does.

The unwavering acceptance of its metamorphosis tells us to keep our faith as we go though the bumps & roadblocks.

Our fretting & anger are useless against the turning tide of nature, just as we’ve to recognize that the novel coronavirus is here to stay for quite a while.

If anything, butterflies seem to me to represent a cycle of coming into wholeness. Too often, we approach life from a place of striving but not arriving. Maybe we should be more aware of the joy of living in the moment.

Life journey of butterflies

Life journey for some insects and butterflies aren't long for them to enjoy.

They live fully and beneficially to themselves as well as others. So do we all human beings. Usually our lives seldom experiencing the recent hardship and adversity butrecently we are like lurching for one crisis to another.

We face the global pandemic which resulted our daily dramatic changes . Then comes the economy uncertainties political social turmoil, natural disasters and all sorts of personal traumas.

2020 was rough but we're hopeful for 2021. Living thru this difficult times take a heavy toll on our mood, health and outlook espicially ladies.

Whole there is no way to avoid distress, hardship and sorrow but there are ways smoothen the rough waves. Resilience, build resilience can help better adapt to life changes, events and cope up.

Visualise the extraordinary feat of butterflies.

Poets, scholars, conservationists and even painters have spoken to even visualise the extraordinary feat of butterflies. On a bigger picture, it is one of the tell-tale sign that the area has good eco-system, with its ability to pollinate the surrounding.

From this aspect, we can see in awe such beautiful creation albeit short lifespan on the transformation. Avid collectors will pay big sum to have it perpetually framed or digitally photographed.

That’s true as being human, the narrative is simple, things that would not last will be treasured most whilst any form of life will be preserved, when their numbers dwindled.

Be that butterfly, dignified, poised and yet helpful - in best possible manner. Take a step back, reflect and enjoy the moment as it unfold. We wouldn’t want to be a butterfly that will be hung on the wall, for others to enjoy.

Butterfly is God creation

That's the beauty of creation. Know that the God of creation has everything in order for all living things and the awesomeness is beyond comprehension.

In Ecclesiastes 3:18, A Time for Everything. "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens" Life and death is not within our control and the measure of one's success is a very subjective one. Contentment is the key word as we do not need much to survive actually. From dust we came and to dust we shall return with nothing to take along except leaving behind a legacy.

By that I'm no saying we do not need to pursue success in one's life but to have a balance life in which to give is more blessed than to receive.

Be a good steward and faithful servants of God, the creator of all things. Matt 6:25-34, Do Not Worry,....... Will our worrying even help or change the situation like worldwide pandemic with economic disaster ? Just trust God and keep in line with his will as we continue this earthly journey.

Matt 6: 26-27 is interesting : 26, Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they ? 27, Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life ?

Butterfly as a symbol

That’s deep and an interesting symbolic interpretation. But then, having transformed in all its color and glory, butterflies are free to fly! Can’t say the same for humans.

Certainly it would be nice to be able to say we have “arrived” at every stage of our human development - baby, toddler, kids, teens, young adult, adult (singlehood, marriage) and senior. It would be wonderful to truly savor and enjoy every stage of the moment before we move on to the next stage.

But reality check - how many of us do that or have the luxury to do that? Rather, at each stage, we hardly live it the way we should. Case in point, the young kids should be at the play grounds but they are busy at Kumon centers doing worksheets. Teens should be carefreely enjoying their youth but most are bogged down with exams, studying, tuition and staying cooped up at home for more home study. Those who are poor and struggling, would be too busy making ends meet and the rest of us, to find our pot of gold.

We treat our life (transformation and all) more like a journey with a definite destination. The standard route, study hard, get into a good university, find a good job, (or inherit family business) marry, have children etc etc. till our life transformation completes and ends.

We have 70 years on the average, not two weeks. Yet, we are in such haste to reach our destination, (whichever that we have set for ourselves). In fact, we are in a hurry that we get so caught up in the rat race, that we hardly find time to relish what’s in between. When we have “arrived” at each stage, we hasten to get on to the next. To me it’s really not about the length of life but the depth. So what if we finally “transformed” ...all healthy and hearty and money all stashed up but we have failed to experience our beautiful transformation along the way.

Too often we realise (or rather we are able) only in our twilight years to smell the roses. Is it too late? Perhaps not..Better late than never.

So, I agree wholeheartedly, that we should ponder at every stage, count our blessings at each arrival point, take time to truly experience the various stages of life (come what may, and pandemic included). After all, as the saying goes.

WHAT'S THE BEAUTY OF LIFE?

The full bloom butterfly seems to me to represent the final cycle of coming into wholeness of life in its fullness. The scales, which are arranged in colorful designs unique to each species, are what gives the butterfly its beauty of life. I'm surprised to learn butterflies don't bite because they can't.

Caterpillars munch on leaves and eat voraciously with their chewing mouthparts, and some of them do bite if they feel threatened. But once become butterfly the mouth parts become a long, curled proboscis, which is like our soft drinking straw. So they suck honey saps from flowers, to survive in their last few weeks.

As we enter our twilight years it's like butterflies in it's outmost beauty. But as for us it's our attitudes & characters that had been moulded through the struggles & battles in life. Let it be beautiful to contribute our beautiful passion, kindness & love for the peace in our society & country. As the Book says let us be light to shine where there's darkness. Let us be salt to add good taste of life where it has gone stale. God bless us as we learn to obey & be a blessing to many.

Beauty doesnt last forever

They say beauty doesn't last forever and life is fragile and impermanent. So they think it's less painful and disappointing when they become detached, to avoid further suffering.

Yet when millions of nature's beauty flash before your eyes and you numb your senses, would your mind agree?

I remember a bit (it's been about 50 years ago or more that I read that) about the line, 'What is this life, full of care, if we can't stand and stare?' or something like that.

I can't accept that I'm staying alive just to be like a worker ant.

Season of Butterfly

Another way of looking at it is that there's always a season for everything. After one spring, the butterflies return on the next.

Likewise, our hopes are never dashed forever. There'll be another opportunity and others coming if one looks for them.

Many people stick to the belief that nothing lasts forever and life ends with the last breath. Yet there are legacies and culture handed down the generations. So, they still might not be permanent, yet are perennial.

Beautiful sunsets blur when dusks fall. Yet we watch the skies the following evenings.

It's the never ending quest for life that brings beauty to life.

You are supose to change

The transformation from caterpillar to butterfly is always inspiring to me. I guess the caterpillar never thought of itself being able to become a beautiful butterfly. This sends a very profound message : "You don't know what you don't know" and that, "You are supposed to change."

Human nature is that we don't feel comfortable with changes and the unknown. We like the way we are living, me too, most of the time. Until changes are inevitable, some adapt to the changes better than others, while others are struggling cause they are resisting the changes. I am still trying to adjust to new lifestyle during this pandemic even after 10 months of living with new norms. But, I am constantly reminding myself, "Give yourself time."

I never thought of myself changing from one who hated exercise to one who love working out. You don't know how much better you are capable of becoming. Enjoy life by the process of living it alive - each step you walk you are arriving and becoming. Believe in miracle. Remember: You are supposed to change.

Life is like a vapour

For the butterfly, two weeks to fulfill its destiny. For man, only a few will live to a century. One day your heart will stop beating. That will be the end of your body and time on earth, but that would not be the end of you!

Will a man live again if he dies? Yes. The body dies, the spirit of man lives on forever!

If life is all there is on earth then death would seem to be unnatural and unfair.

A popular slogan we know says 'this is the first day of the rest of your life'. A better rephrase would be 'live each day as the last day of your life' to prepare for your first day in eternity. We are made to last forever!

Humans are not butterflies!

The Story of Butterfly

I love butterflies. Used to see them often when I was still a kid, now hardly see one.

Butterflies, their very existence brings glory to God. Whenever I see butterflies, I praise God; what a marvel he has done, colouring the insects while they were still inside the cocoon. And each one in its unique pattern and colours.

There is at least one thing we can learn from butterfly, that is, to bring glory to God by our good work (different type of beauty).