A cool breeze loosened another curl from my braided hair, sending it whipping across my face which, in turn, sent a shiver shooting down my spine. I am of a rather ticklish nature, you see, and the soft touch of even my own Irish curls torments my nerves in ways that words cannot describe! After giving myself ample time to do a full body shudder, I calmly but yet firmly placed the ill behaved curl behind my ear and continued on with my work.
Summer had just drawn to a close, and the bright blue sky of which I had grown so fond during the warmer months was now hidden by deep grey clouds that threatened rain, but never brought it. I was in the middle of sorting freshly dug potatoes that smelled earthly in that wonderfully familiar way, when the sun’s warm rays reached out from a break in the clouds and smacked me right in the face. Being a bit surprised by the warmth of my long lost sunny friend, I sat there, a bit bedazzled, for a while. Not knowing when I would next have the chance to appreciate the company of my longtime companion's warm rays again, I decided to take a brief moment to properly greet him.
The autumn leaves crinkled and crunched beneath my body as I laid myself down upon the ground. The rice-ekrispies in-a-bowl sound almost deafened me as I re-positioned myself underneath the looming branches of the great oak tree that towered above my head.
I closed my eyes and listened to the rustling sound of leaves being tossed about in the gentle breeze. The reminder that leaves were falling off the trees, and not staying on them, was not comfort to me, as I was dreading the cold months ahead. Just as I started to get lost in thought, I felt a light tickle upon my face. Fearing another shiver attack coming on, I opened my eyes to recapture the unruly curl and set it back in its place. To my utter surprise, however, it was a butterfly that was brushing up against my face! I sat up and gazed upon its bright colors as it fought the blowing currents and flittered here and there around the tree. Most of its kind had already migrated south, so this one must have really been running late.
Butterflies and moths have always caught my attention, so it was no surprise to me that I was so captivated by its presence. As I watched, a multitude of memories came back to me from my youth, when I studied and collected wide varieties of moths and butterflies.
Seeing it’s determination in fighting the wind reminded me of the time I watched a cecropia moth emerge from its cocoon. It was a rainy day when the top of the cocoon finally broke open and the moth attempted to free itself. As I watched, I could see the moth struggling to exert its newly-formed muscles, and it was very noticeable that the moth's progress was slow. The urge to reach down and widen the opening of the cocoon to make it easier for the moth was so over whelming for me! I knew that with a few moments of my help, it would be free from its prison. I knew all too well, however, that if I did this in an effort to relieve a struggle, I would cripple the future of this creature. You see, what my studies had taught me is that the battle to get out of the cocoon was an essential means of developing the muscle system of the moth’s entire body. The pressure of these muscles working together was necessary to push the blood into the wings and fill them out to their full dimension.
At that very moment, I realized: the moth’s present hardships, were essential for its future maturity. I was struck by the determination of these moths, who endured their current trials for their own good. Each and every growth stage of the moth would be achieved only through struggle, and each struggle would be necessary for the insect to attain full growth.
If this concept is true for the growth and survival of a moth, how much more is it true for us? We cannot reach our own potential, or even survive, for that matter, if we do not face our daily struggles with a striving toward future achievement. Now, every time I see a moth or butterfly, I am reminded to go forward with determination whenever faced with a challenge, so that I will give my self opportunity to achieve growth, and not to be crippled by my foes.
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