About Caterpillars and Butterflies

"You have to want to be a butterfly so much that you're willing to give up being a caterpillar".

-Wendy Watson

Do you find that at times in your life a theme seems to thread through everything you hear and see and experience for a certain amount of time? I do. I suppose that theme is probably a lesson I need to learn - or re-learn. This is a post of some experiences I've had of late, relating to my current theme. Maybe it will fit into your current theme, too. Maybe not. Anyway, I felt like sharing.

On Sunday, I came across a note that I made in my church notebook about 3 years ago in response to a Sunday School class I was attending at the time. We were talking about all that Nephi and his family left behind in order to travel to the Promised Land. Some questions posed were: What is your promised land? What are you willing to sacrifice, or give up, in order to attain it? I noted that sometimes, in order to get to our "promised land", we have to have the faith to leave where we are now, even though it sometimes means leaving the familiar and comfortable behind.

How many times have I missed out on something in my life because I didn't have the courage to leave my comfort zone?

"You've Got Mail" was on TV yesterday and I watched the end of it for the umpteenth time as I got ready for my play. I was reminded of my favorite poignant line from that movie, said by the lead: "Sometimes I wonder about my life. I lead a small life - well, valuable, but small - and sometimes I wonder, do I do it because I like it, or because I haven't been brave?"

I also just got back from seeing the movie "Letters to Juliet". Now, granted, it is a very romantically cheesy movie that plays to every female fantasy cliche. But it was also a story of having the courage to seize second chances, and to not allow the "what ifs" in our lives to control or haunt us.

I've decided that I want to be a butterfly.