WHEN TOUGH TIMES VISIT
A10-year-old boy was walking through the bush not far from his home. He came across a cocoon containing a butterfly which was struggling to escape. The wall of the cocoon was very thin, yet the butterfly continued to push and struggle against it. The boy used his pocket knife to carefully cut down the side of the cocoon and lovingly placed the now open cocoon on a nearby stump. With great expectation, he waited for the butterfly to soar. Unfortunately, the story does not end well for the butterfly – due to the young boy’s well-meant yet ill-timed actions, its wings were not yet strong enough. In the course of my nearly 24 years serving people as a solicitor, I have lost count of how many times I have shared this powerful story with a client. My job involves helping people get through painful challenges and experience has taught me that the true personal growth in our life occurs during the tough times. A mentor once said, “if you shield the mountainside from the storms, you will never witness the beautiful carvings”. The butterfly needed to continue its struggles inside the cocoon a little bit longer; only then would it be strong enough to burst free and spread its wings. Many of my clients over the years have looked back on the ‘tough times’ and seen the perfection, the lessons that made them a better person. The next time you are visited by ‘tough times’, remember the little boy and his butterfly. Remember also this gem: “This too shall pass”.