Walking out of the park after a football game on Saturday, we were stopped in our tracks by the beauty of a kaleidoscope of butterflies fluttering around a gorgeous garden landscape. Leaning in close, where we could see all the colors, we made guesses about what they were. They were stunning and so peaceful in the middle of our frenetic morning.
It turns out this one is a black swallowtail.
I was obsessed with its orange and turquoise design. I took about 10 different pictures trying to capture it. I even knelt down on the grass, but being the great photographer I am, I mostly only captured the tops of its black wings.
Even so, the view is still spectacular.
I had coffee with a beautiful new friend, Guathami yesterday. It started with the usual greetings and surface conversation. But we weren’t three sips into our tea when we dove into the deep end of the pool together. We each shared our stories, our real stories, and a magical friendship began. We both felt so seen and understood as we shared about our struggles, joys, hopes, fears and of course our passions. We shared a lot about the trials, darkness, loneliness and growth that is the process of, not only running a business that exists to make change happen, but of becoming the person who is able to persist through that transformation.
“We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the change it has gone through to achieve that beauty.” – Maya Angelou
It’s so true that in our world, we can easily value the beauty of the butterfly. But when we’re looking at only the outward beauty, we easily forget the transformation a beautiful soul requires. So today, if you feel like you’re surrounded by darkness and you’re confused by all the changes happening inside you . . .
Keep holding on.
If you feel like you’re fighting for your life, maybe it’s not a death at all.
This could very well be your transformation.
Change isn’t easy, but all the beauty, wisdom, empathy and love on the other side?
It’s worth it.
Keep going.
to more love,
Crystal
