As we watched the life cycle of the butterfly unfold, I was (always am) reminded of my sister.  She has overcome a great deal and I am so proud of who she has emerged to become.  When she graduated from nursing school last year, I bought her a butterfly necklace and reminded her of this truth, one that has always amazed me:

Before a butterfly can emerge out of it’s chrysalis it has to go through a lot of struggling. Yes, struggling. Each time it lunges out to escape, acids are being removed from its wings. If someone were to come along and break the chrysalis open for it then the butterfly would die from those acids. In essence the struggle is necessary for the butterfly to survive. Then in the stillness, when the struggle is over, the butterfly can come out and share its beauty with the world.