How To Be A Butterfly

I recently came across a profound statement that I want to share with you. While I cannot confirm the sentiment of the original author, I have a few thoughts of my own to share.

Flowers do not know they are beautiful… but the butterfly does.

My mother was a true lover of flowers. She worked meticulously on her gardens. She had a rose garden and an azalea garden and intermingled amongst them all were pansies and petunias and zinnias and begonias and marigolds and geraniums and why am I listing out all those types of flowers? Because each one is different. They differ in form, in height, in color, in texture, in needs. Just like US! And each one is beautiful and fragrant and alluring and has a purpose. Just like US! But sometimes we forget that. We forget just how totally awesome we are. Why is that?

We are bombarded almost daily with lists on social media or the Internet:

(5) Hints To Looking Younger

(4) Ways to Dress Slimmer

(3) Tips for A Great Smile

(2) Items Every Woman Needs

This usually all adds up to …

(1) Insecure, Anxious, Paranoid Woman! (Or is this just me?)

We are all under a lot of pressure to be ‘more’. Whether it is prettier, thinner, more successful, neater, more youthful, faster, cooler, richer; we seldom feel that we measure up to whatever the standard is. But who sets the standard? And who is actually keeping score? I think we keep our own tally, and score ourselves on the low side.

We truly do not understand or accept our true worth. We cannot see ourselves as a beautiful flower. That is where the butterfly comes in. It is the butterfly who appreciates all the flower has to offer.

I believe it is vital that we as women become someone’s butterfly. The world today wants to put us at odds with each other. In competition with each other. Sometimes we try harder to impress our girlfriends than anyone else. That is so destructive and serves no real purpose. There are enough outside forces that will shake our courage. Daily struggles that weigh us down. We simply cannot then look at other women as opponents to beat out. Look, I’m not trying to sound like a major feminist here. This really isn’t about girl power. It’s about FRIEND power, and how important it is.

Ultimately I know we have to believe in ourselves. We cannot depend on someone else to constantly build us up. But I would like to challenge every one reading this today to become a butterfly. Find a flower. Any flower. It can be a familiar flower. Or an unknown flower. One that is just budding, or already seasoned in the sun. It doesn’t matter. Find a flower, fly ever so wistfully around it and let that flower know just how totally magnificent and lovely it (she) is.

I promise you if we all did this, every day, the world would suddenly become a much more beautiful and fragrant place. One flower and butterfly at a time.