I've been thinking a lot about butterflies lately.
Maybe it's the season, maybe it's because I saw a video on IG of hundreds of butterflies and the magic of it stopped me in my tracks... who knows.
But what's really been on my mind is actually not just the fully transformed butterflies, but also the caterpillars that become them.
And this isn't just because I've always had a soft spot for caterpillars (RIP to my childhood caterpillar friend, Skippy).
It's that I've really been considering that caterpillar-to-butterfly transformative process, and how that might feel for them.
Those beautiful butterflies, fluttering in the wind and enjoying their flower friends, once were grounded beings.
As caterpillars, they moved slowly, they rested, they stayed close to home.
They prepared for their transformation, they waited, and slowly, they became.
And while this is the natural life cycle of these creatures (and I may be projecting here), I have to wonder if that transformation is difficult at first.
These once earth-bound beauties take to the air, looking differently than before, acting differently, perceived differently.
Beautiful, yes. Magical, absolutely. Crucial to our collective sustainability, 100 percent.
But I wonder... is this change uncomfy in some way for them?
Does it feel awkward or surreal at first?
And how might that help us reflect on our own experiences of transformation?
Even when we're experiencing "good" changes, it can still feel overwhelming.
Even when it's what we've been hoping for, it can still feel dysregulating.
And even when those on the outside are only able to perceive the positives, it's ok if for you, your transformation mostly feels like an out-of-body process of re-learning how to be.
The discomfort doesn't mean that you're not heading in the right direction or that you're not becoming your you-est you.
It's just a reminder that change can be hard, and it's ok if it doesn't always feel only good.
And, we don't need to try to do any of it perfectly (whatever that means). We just need to be.
To trust the process.
To trust ourselves.
We can learn a lot of lessons from the caterpillars... reminding us that because change can take a lot out of us, we need space to rest, to cocoon, to prepare for what's to come.
And the butterflies teach us too—that we will learn to fly even though our wings are brand new, and that we can always stop on a flower and rest awhile.
We have the rest of our lives to embrace these transformations... and they don't need to happen overnight.
Change can be hard