The Butterfly

My hands finally enclosed the little creature. I quivered with excitement, knowing I had captured it. I felt its little wings and legs against the bare skin of my hands as I ran back to the refugee building my family was living in at the time, to show my mom my prize.

Life provides everyone with an opportunity to be proud of something, something that you did and want the whole world to know! Ok, maybe not the whole world, but pretty darn close. The one thing that you have to learn is to gather the courage to show it off. Everyone has a hidden talent, but most are afraid to show it, for fear of being ridiculed. We forget how important things can be to others, and take them for granted. trist

I ran up the stairs of our building, my heart beating so hard in my chest I thought it might leap out. Careful as not to hurt the tiny thing, I tried not to move my hands at all. The door to our "home" was open, so I walked right in. My mom, dad, and I lived in one room. This had been the case for three years, but it was enough. I ran to my mom who was standing at the table, my breathing very rapid. My hands were soar from trying to hold them strait, unmoving, and my chest felt like it was going to burst from sheer pain. But, it was all worth it, for I was going to show my mom my achievement.

A lesson in life that we all learn is that we have to work hard to achieve our goals, both short and long term. Sometimes we have to make sacrifices. Some can be simple, while others nearly impossible. Achieving goals can be painful, either emotionally or physically. This is when one must consider if their goals are reachable, and if yes, see if they are worth the pain. Evaluate whether the benefits outweigh the negatives.

Back in the room, I opened my hands slightly so that my mom could see what was hidden in them. I told her it was a butterfly. She looked at it as it tried to slowly crawl out. I waited for her reaction. Eventually, she nodded her head, saying it was pretty. My spirits soared. Now I planned to keep it, to feed it, to take care of it, have it stay with me forever! But alas, then came the tear-jerker. My mom told me I had to let it go. I looked out the open window into the now chilly night. My heart sank. I couldn't understand. Why? What if it wasn't going to survive out there? It's a cruel dark world out there you know. How could I let something I loved so much, go?

From the moment you are born until the moment that you die, you constantly meet new people. The majority you pass by without notice. Then, however, there are those that you get the opportunity to befriend. These touch your life in one way or another. Some you even grow to love. This could be family, friends, boyfriends or girlfriends.. Now I want to ask you if you have ever moved from town to town. Ever had to leave friends and family behind? Even if you've been in one place all your life, you still know how painful it is to lose a friend or a loved one. This you can't control. However, sometimes you lose people through the choices that you make. A fight perhaps, or putting forth no effort to maintain a relationship. But then there's the times where you just have to let people go because you love them. This is the hardest thing to do….and yet sometimes the most loving. Now you have to look at the other person and their happiness. Is it worth having them, but always seeing them miserable?

I let my butterfly go.