Butterfly Effect

Butterfly Effect

BY BAJDA WELTY

The tender, tentative shoots that peeked out of the ground in spring harnessed the burst of energy and dared to chase the sun’s warmth upwards. The gamble is paying off during these months of summertime. They are now thick, strong, robust and hardy enough to bear fruit.

The flower moon cycle of June puts on full display the fiery energy of this season, followed by the strawberry moon of July, when the flowers transform into juicy, sweet fruit. The last moon of the summer season is the sturgeon moon cycle of August. This is the final push of abundance. This is peak achievement season. All plants, animals and humans harvest, collect and indulge before the chill of fall reminds us that life will not be as easy going forward.

This also reminds me of the transformative states that we all move through each season and, on a larger scale, the seasons of our individual lives.

Spring is the emergence, fueled by bravery and optimism but changes are needed for progress and evolution to take place.

The caterpillar must bump along, slow and vulnerable, until it stops all together, its skin becoming a hard layer while its insides are dissolving, reforming, rebuilding and reconfiguring. The chrysalis is the incubator for death, rebirth and renewal. The container of new beginnings. It could be mistaken for nothing, completely overlooked, seen as a dormant or dead thing.

From inside the chrysalis a whole new creature will emerge, able to fly, ready to sip nectar. There is an exquisite beauty that comes from embracing the changes in the seasons and a strong symbolism in this process for us all as humans: embrace change, have faith in moments of dissolution and rebuild.

So, summer is the season to bloom, take flight, expand your domain and reemerge in a brighter, more graceful way. And know that cycles don’t last; change is always coming. Personal growth is ever-evolving, too, birth and death constantly happen, inspiration and regeneration are always present.

Summer is the high season, life’s mid-life. Many people see the fruiting, productive heights of family, career, relationships, creativity, while other parts of us start to break down. Hormone levels shift, body composition, strength, endurance and body shapes change. Middle life brings on a metamorphosis of sorts that is not only normal and necessary, but should be embraced.

As cherished parts of you change, what is boldly emerging? What is daring to reshape? What is dissolving?

Seasons go in circles, spiraling around us. But during the summer, can we press pause? Relish the long sunny days, bask in the flower petals, savor the ripe produce and abundant berries?

During midlife, can we also press pause? Say no to changing? Stay still in our present physical and mental state? Truly and sadly, no... our caterpillar selves must slow, stop, harden, metamorphose, sprout wings and antennae so we can fly to our next chapter/season of life. It would be a freeing exercise for all mid-lifers to envision reverse metamorphosis as well. Perhaps we would think our best days are behind us and grieve going from butterfly to caterpillar? Perhaps our best days are ahead. Perhaps we should revel in today and bask in the PNW sunshine reflecting off the salty sea.