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.
A Flower does not know it is 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 among 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…..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, successful, neater, 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 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 our boyfriends. 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. Ok, look, I’m not trying to sound all feministic. (I
wasn’t sure if that was a word, but my grammar check didn’t highlight it.) This
really isn’t about ‘girl power’. It’s about FRIEND power, and how important that is.
I have had my own personal
butterfly now for over thirty years. She has been one of my best friends since
junior high school. This is the girl, who even when we liked the same guy in
high school, let me cry on her shoulder when he dumped me, listened to me rant
and rail and obsess as only adolescent girls can (ok, maybe adult ‘girls’ too).
She has never failed me. And even though our paths have gone in separate
directions, whenever we do get together or talk on the phone, we pick right
back up where we left off. She knows me and accepts me for EXACTLY who and how I am. (Thank you Beverly!) How totally incredible is that?
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 a
stranger flower. Just budding, or one seasoned in the sun. It doesn’t matter.
Find a flower, fly every 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 radiant and fragrant
place…..one flower and butterfly at a time.
Hope Out
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