Surrounded by fluttering colors and green hues, I stood astounded in a dream-like trance trying to capture the awe that filled me. The butterflies moved so gracefully through the trees and flowers; the beauty that was embodied by each one of them seemed almost like magic. It was at the butterfly garden at the Jacksonville Zoo that I realized an appreciation for life and all of its wonders. To this day I still daydream of that enchantment within the greenhouse.
My metamorphosis began soon after my visit to the garden. In seventh grade, I cocooned myself and remained in my own private shell throughout junior high. It was not until my freshmen year in high school that I revealed my new wings for the first time. As I moved forward in school and in life my canvases filled with color.
One of the first and most noticeable patterns to appear was the pure white smears which emerged on the outer edges of my wings; God entered my life full force and I found my faith. Through the years my connection with God grew while I learned of His undying love and my traces of white flourished.
After the branches of white had found their places, other swirls and waves were brushed on. I learned confidence, took up leadership and stumbled upon the blue splashes with streaks of self-assurance mixed in. As I developed into my own person, individual and full of color, green hues swirled onto my palette and were spread with the birth of my adult values and morals. I discovered cheerful yellow dabs after lunches and projects with my life-time friends. Comforting, yet exciting oranges trickled onto my canvas after my time spent in the mountains in Georgia with my family—hiking, playing, bonding. And with romance: my first slow dance, my first slow kiss and my first true and only love, came soft tints of warm glowing pinks and vivid, passionate reds. A stunning display of tones had found its way onto my wings, radiant and ravishing, yet even the loveliest canvas is invaded by darkness and shadow.
Stress and arguments were embodied by the sadness of grays. The sudden decision by my uncle to take his own life induced the drips of black thrust onto my wings and long nights of crying myself to sleep. High school manifested itself to be a time of pressure, anxiety and confusion, yet the contrasting darkness provoked a new appreciation for the delicacy of wonder, of joy and of life.
My splashes of colors appeared more brilliant and bold and my fragile body, more remarkable. Each speck of color joined together to paint the picture of a story, a life full of marvel and bliss, sadness and sorrow, made possible only by the butterfly’s ability to continue to move forward through the most turbulent winds and intimidating rains. I believe that it is the butterfly that knows that life is short, delicate, and only beautiful when challenges are overcome.