Create Your Own Hole in the Sky

Photo by Story & Shots: Hole in the Sky

Perhaps the best way to achieve freedom in your life is to know and decide when and where you want to put your own hole in the sky. Luckily, I’ve seen myself thriving in this dimension. I may had exerted an ordinary effort, or spent an ordinary time, or found an ordinary place, or make friends with ordinary people, yet the learning I’ve had weren’t ordinary at all. Each of us goes through a transition stage. We don’t exactly know what we want, where we should be or what we see ourselves to be. Perhaps, I am passing through that time now. There is this feeling of wanting for more, of giving another best shot, of harnessing what I believe is there to cultivate, of taking risk, of learning more . There are a lot of things I want to do... there is my passion to publish and author a book... there is my vision of seeing myself as a great speaker and trainer... there is my hallucination of being a psychologist... there is my hidden cry to become a nun... there is my desire to be like Ally Mcbeal, the lawyer... there is my fervent prayer of becoming an angel in heaven... so many things I want, so many dreams I wish...thank God, dreams and wishes are freely given! Yet I found myself gasping for air, breathlessly confused of where I am now. It seems like life offers me with so many beautiful things, yet I keep on craving for other things...and I’m afraid to see myself holding with nothing!

Opportunities, I said to myself, are not circumscribed to one soul and so is bad luck. Everyone must have his own chance of taking a win or a loss in the gamble of life and so am I . I know I won’t have it all at the same time but I can have those things in its own time. As the maxim goes, ‘do one tick at a time.” And the flower will die or bloom in its own time...and the bird will rest or soar in its own time...and the waves will rise or fall in its own time...and love will hurt or inspire in its own time...and life will perpetuate or cease in its own time... for everything has its own season, every season has its own dimension, every dimension has its own reason, and every reason has its own time.

So I won’t let that moment slip through my fingers, it may not come to me again. Rather, I would savor its presence while its there. I would take time to smell the roses, or see the butterfly flies, or appreciate the moon and the stars as they shine at night. I would rather talk less and listen more to what the experience is telling me. I would say more ‘I love you,” and more “I am sorry,” even if the circumstance does not require. And mostly, I would give my best shot at life, seize every moment, look at it and really see it and live it and love it --- for it will never come back!

The Best Things I Know I Learned from my Kindergarten Daughter!

As I celebrate my 38th year birthday, I thought getting old in terms of age makes you wiser and give you more authority and influence over those who are younger than you -- especially over your very own kids. But in my case, our five-year old daughter Danya, had taught me more than I could ever think I would teach her. She has her own interesting little ways of doing things that always keeps me fascinated. There are a lot of instances that she amazes me with her big unexpected ‘sparkly’ thoughts. Other times, she would surprise me with her loud hulking voice chanting her own tune and lyrics. And of course, how can I forget her theatrical moments of crying after watching a very touching movie.  

Yes, I guess some of the best things I know in my entire 38 years,   I did not learn from books or from school or from anywhere else but from my daughter.  The following bits of thoughts that I will be sharing were taken from my old notes which captured some interesting talks and insights I had with my daughter Danya as she creatively journey through her five kindergarten years. Who knows these bits and pieces will also inspire an idea on how to transcribe one of your precious learnings with your little ones. Not only would it reinforce your bonding with your kids but would let you appreciate them more as incomparable individuals with their own brilliant minds and thoughts. 

    I don’t want to be Five!

Birthdays are always special for kids. Although during the first 2 years, it is usually us, parents who are so excited to plan of what party theme to do for our kids. I remember Danya had Barney theme for her first party just because she got hooked with Barney at that time and made us also realized “oh there is such interesting creature as Barney!” When she turned 2, Mickey Mouse was her favourite pal so we had Mickey and Friends as her theme party. She had fun memories during those two years but wasn’t really that remarkable because she didn’t really plan for it.

Then when her third year came, she decided to become a Princess! Yes, a Princess Party which she adored and had special memories of. She can perfectly recall I and her Daddy wore the Lady and Knight costumes, her Lolo Rolly was the King and all her friends were princes and princesses. Every time she watched the video she is filled with so much awe and excitement that she kept on repeating, “That was the best party ever!”

Oh, and what about four? There was an invasion of the Little Pony. She had her Little Pony party at the Café Ceramique with all her kindergarten classmates. That was an awesome day for Danya because that was a wish come true for her! She was all hands-on with her birthday plan, her cake design, and the type of pony dress she would wear on that day. She felt as if it was her first birthday project and she was the successful event planner.

Then here comes five! The party that she originally plan to be ‘a no birthday party’ at all. She decided that being Five is not good (because five year olds are naughty kids) so she would rather celebrate it with a simple family dinner at a hotel of her choice! She bargained rather than having a party, she will just have the full set of My Little Pony Equestria Girls as a gift. So we thought that was a good deal because this would cost us cheaper than throwing a party. But a week before her birthday came, she suddenly changed her mind!

And the rest was part of her birthday history! 

If you LOVE a person, marry her MANY times! 

When she was 3, I remember Danya started begging for his Daddy to ask my hand for marriage again simply because she was not able to witness our real wedding day. I don’t know, but it must be the influence of watching too much Barbie movies that she has associated true love and weddings. We tried to explain to her that we are already married and even showed to her our wedding videos and albums (which made her teary-eyed because she found it too romantic!) but the hard photo proof won’t just work for her. She still keeps on insisting if you really love a person, you can marry her many times so it’s okay for her Mom and Dad to marry again and again because that’s what true love is all about!

And you say…you are married for how many years now? Who’s the love expert here?

Let’s talk about Business!

When Danya was four, her favourite dinner topic was “What family business should we put up and how we should run it?”

She had too many things in her mind. There was an idea of having a candy factory, a lemon juice bar, a bakery, a pasta restaurant until finally she decided a buy and sell business would be best! When we asked her what did she meant by a ‘buy and sell’ business? She explained, well …we buy stuff that we need (meaning we go shopping of the things that we really need) and then gather all the stuff that we don’t need and put up a yard sale (perhaps, she meant a garage sale!).

 Hmmm… a new ‘buy and sell’ concept -who says kids don’t know about business!

God is not in Heaven, He’s in Your Heart.

When she prays at night, she always asks where is God and why can’t she see Him.  We always tell her, God is in heaven that’s why we can’t see him physically. But we can always feel Him especially every time we pray because prayer makes us closer to God. And we thought this is the simplest explanation we can ever give to make her understand God’s presence.

But one day she surprised me again with her query: “Do you really know where God is Mama?” Before I could utter a word, she whispered: I Know! I know HE’s here… God is here (pointing at her heart).

And that I think was the best answer I have ever heard!

Solve your Problem Not with your HEAD but with Your HEART.

Danya finds it boring when a person rest. She thinks sleeping or resting is the most boring thing in the world because you do nothing but close your eyes. So when she sees me about to relax, she will try to attack me again with her tricky questions just to keep me awake.

 “Mama, how do you solve a problem?”

 I was quite puzzled but then I gave my reply:  “it depends on what kind of problem you are solving, if it’s a math problem then you need to think and use your head.”  But suddenly she confidently cut me off and said: “No, mom, you don’t solve any problem with your HEAD, you solve all problems with your HEART, because GOD lives in your HEART and HE will be your guide in solving all your problems.”

Again, that makes sense!

Always COMPLIMENT your WIFE 

(especially when she’s pregnant)

I can say that my second pregnancy has never been easy from the start. Aside from the physical difficulty of having to work and travel long hours each day while carrying a big bump or watermelon in my tummy as Danya calls it, I’m having several moments of hormonal depressions that sometimes I just feel so sad and cry for no reason at all.  Good thing I have Danya on the rescue to ease things out if looking at her daddy makes my depression even awful.  But guess what my 5 year old daughter taught me on these occurrences: “Oh poor mama, I know you’re feeling sad now because Daddy doesn’t tell you  how pretty you are or you look very nice in your dress or even forget to call you on the phone every day to say “how’s the baby?” But… I do! I DO! I always love you and tell you are the most beautiful mom I’ve ever have! 

So tell me, who would not smile on this remarks?

These are just some of the many things I have learned and will keep on learning from my daughter. The list may add up until who knows I can complete a book someday.  The lesson her is, rather than searching for somebody or somewhere else for advises, just look beside you and listen to what your kids can teach you.  You would be amazed that they too, can be your very own personal life coaches.

Time for Giant Faith

Hello, friends….

Separation comes in different forms. We may experience parents leaving us for a long vacation; or friends being gone for some time to go somewhere far away for things of consequence. There are also circumstances when we lost people we love so much; either because one abandons the other or simply the relationship has to end and one has to let go. But whether it’s temporary or permanent, separation always brings us emotional tragedy. And this one calls for our giant faith.

My prayer is that this piece might help a good friend and those who shares the same fate. Please have my faith and have it till you get healed.

Keep dreaming…
Chille:)

Google Image

I’ve learned from a book “Return to Love” by Marianne Williamson that there are three levels of ‘teaching’ in a relationship. The first level is what we think of as a casual encounter, such as two strangers meeting in an elevator or students who “happen” to walk home from school together. The second level is a “more sustained relationship, in which, for a time, two people enter into a fairly intense teaching-learning situation and then appear to separate.” The third level of teaching is a relationship, which, once formed, lasts our lives. At this level, “each person is given a chosen learning partner who presents him with unlimited opportunities for learning.”

Most of us find a hard time surviving the second level. Reason why, very few achieved that third level, life long-relationship. At the second level of teaching, people are brought together for more intense work. And sad to say, our souls usually slow down with the intensity of work we have to do. Most of us consider separation as the saddest chapter in a relationship. It diffuses our world when someone we love so much says goodbye to us. The emotional pain we feel from the inside is immensely excruciating. The intensity of pain doesn’t stop but keeps on haunting us over and over again. We feel it’s not only the relationship that is ending, but it seems like our entire world is temporarily ending too. Our depression, our disappointment, our tears, and our grief when a relationship is ending and someone has to let go are just but natural. It’s not neurotic to grieve a relationship; what’s neurotic is when we don’t. There’s no need to pretend we don’t feel the hurt in our hearts. We have to let it out and cry the tears that gush forth like a blood from a wound. We have to detoxify ourselves… release the negative energies and allow our souls to be healed. Because only in the process of healing, that we can learn what is illusion and what is real. And we can learn about a love that never, ever leaves. Thus, we should not always look with sadness at the “failure” of our relationship. If we both learned what we were meant to learn, then that relationship was a success.

Sometimes, the lesson to be learned in a relationship is how to hang in there and try to work things out. Other times, the lesson to be learned is how to exit a situation that doesn’t serve or a person who is not worth. No one can say for another person what principle applies in what circumstance. It is ultimately our constant connection to heaven and our own intuitional guidance that alone can lead us to the higher understanding of events that unfold our lives.

Times like these call for a giant faith. Let our hearts be softened by our tears. Cry all the pain out, and let tears wash away our misery. Remember, Jesus’ symbolic three days? Three days represents the time it takes between the crucifixion and the resurrection, between an open-hearted response to hurt and the experience of rebirth that will always follow. This is just one of our three days. Hold on. Hold on. Sometimes in our defenseless, our safety lies. Just step back and let Him lead the way. Hang on to our giant faith.

Lessons from Mr. Stingy

Every moment should be an opportunity to learn something new...yes, very true but hopefully not on the days when you are expecting to pamper and reward yourself with extra 'goodness'! Not on the days when you are ready to ignore the status quo for the sake of enjoyment. Not on the days when you just wanted to relax and free yourself from all worries. But that moment was unstoppable, the opportunity was so clear and was meant to take place.

Trip to Singapore

It was an awkward yet a remarkable experience for me and Dennis in Singapore several months ago. Our supposed to be 10-day great Singapore experience turned into an unexpected miracle eye- opener for us. It wasn't the beautiful city or the awe-inspiring sites that made us remember Singapore. Ask us again about Singapore and we will untiringly tell you the lessons learned from Mister Stingy!

I call him Mister Stingy-- he is a full blooded Pinoy and lives in Singapore with his wife and daughter. He has been there working for nearly 10 years to support his family. His lovely wife stays at home taking care of their daughter who now goes to primary school. Mister Stingy doesn't rent a house, rather he owns an old but decent three-bedroom flat. It was sold to him by his previous landlord  by installment and currently pays reasonable monthly amortization to the bank. He has managed to lease the spare bedroom which now gives him additional source of income. He has also acquired properties in the Philippines and saved something for his early retirement. He doesn't really earn a lot ... just enough to take good care of his family. But he takes care of his finances very well, far better than any accountant (including myself!) can do.

So what's the magic key to Mister Stingy' s success story? LIVING SIMPLY! He lives a very simple yet contented life! A life of no waste, no excess,  no unnecessary add-ons! Just enough for everything. When he travels, he travels light. He always tries to fit things in one suitcase if possible. And it works well on him most of the time. The bottom line here, all of us can start  living responsibly by starting where we are now and what we currently have. No need to wait for a job promotion or a bigger salary to start saving for our future. If we want to be truly blessed, we just have to learn how to manage God's blessings responsibly and live LIFE simply.

If Mister Stingy made it, why cant we? Good luck to our new journey towards voluntary simplicity!

What Kind of Spice Are You?

Friends who really know me can easily say - "Chill cannot survive in her kitchen all by herself because she cannot really cook!" It's a shame but that's true! Cooking is not really my cup of tea. Rather than putting my apron on and dipping my hands on the sink, I think Dennis would prefer me calling our favorite restaurant for a quick food delivery. At least, we are all assured that we will not starve for the day. Good thing, we always have Kathy to save our hungry tummies.

Spice market photo @ www.kenresearch.com

But despite of my cooking deficiencies, I am not putting my hopes down. I have promised myself I will be learning how to cook the best way I can.In fact, I started my lesson last week with various spices and I would like to share some interesting thoughts on it.

Have you ever thought that spices are pretty much like us? Read below some of my favorites and decide for yourself:

Every kitchen has this - Black Pepper. It has a sharp, penetrating aroma and with a woody, piney flavor. It is hot and biting to the taste.

Cilantro has the "indescribable" bold flavor - it has a mixture of sage, parsley, and citrus that adds pungent flavor and sets apart many dishes.

Cinnamon (my personal favorite)is characterized as woody, musty, earthy, and sweet flavored spice. It is warming to the taste. Cinnamons can be whole, sticks, or ground and can be used in spiced vegetable dishes as well as in sweet baking dishes.

Paprika is the "garnish spice" that contributes brilliant color and sweet pepper flavor in light colored dishes. It is often used in French dressing and a popular addition to many rubs, marinades and sauces.  

For no good reason,most of us can be like Mr Black Pepper - sharp and woody and hot tempered (and bite like a dog when being annoyed!).

Boldness that sets apart -now I can call this "cilantropic attitude". Looking at the positive side, cilantropic people can inspire us with their creativity and boldness in all their endeavors.

Speaking about Cinnamoners, I think everybody would want to be like them -- warm, good natured souls. They are down to earth and can hang out with people from all walks of life.

The Paprikans are people gifted with brilliance that can illuminate a gloomy atmosphere. Their mere presence can inspire and spice up one's life.

And of course, who can ever forget Mr.Salt? No further words required, but no cooking can survive without a pinch of salt.

So what about you? Have you thought what kind of spice are you?

Create a difference, spice up your life with love and goodness!

This Will Soon Pass

I consider myself an eternal optimist…though I’ve been put in a lion’s den sometimes, it doesn’t put my soul in a trap. I always make it a point to stand up, and gather any spark of strength left in my veins to go on with the fight. After all, things like these in our lives always happen but will soon pass. And it did…and it always will, believe me!

Photo by Story & Shots: Keep Calm Lion King

This Will Soon Pass…

The tunnel seems so dark; I don’t see where the road leads
The heart seems so numb; I don’t feel where the pain goes
Deafening silence can be heard from the inside, it suffocates
Screaming out loud I cannot do, agony it intensifies
No words can comfort me; neither any touch can ease the hurting
Everything seems hopeless; I cannot cling to any vine of longing

Giving up seems to be an easy way out
Should I hold on and suffer?
Or should I let go and die?
Sometimes I fall
Sometimes I falter
Sometimes I am drifting
Sometimes I am denying
Sometimes I cease from hoping
Sometimes I hold back my faith from moving
But I don’t lose my soul
For I know, things like these will soon pass.

Life is Beautiful

Life is full of amazing surprises…Sometimes it makes you shiver and cry…Sometimes it brings you joy and laugh on high…Sometimes it says nice hellos …Sometimes it bids painful good-byes…Life is full of hopes and wondrous graces…Sometimes we see it, sometimes we don't…Sometimes we just sit and wait for our stars to come out…Sometimes we just close our eyes and let the day pass with a sigh…Sometimes we lift up everything on high and say let it be…But life goes on beyond laughters and tears, hopes and wishes…Life awaits hopeful beginnings to those who can truly accept painful endings …Life treasures long friendships to those who can endure agonizing distances…Life moves mountains to those who can struggle weak knees and fretful hearts…Life brings forth a beautiful journey to those who really believe and make life beautiful.

Photo by Story & Shots: Color your life with beauty

Everyone has his own creative way of starting a new year. I started mine dusting up and recollecting my old memory files. As far as I can remember, those memory trinkets I have kept were ten or fifteen years ago but it seems like the words and the memories are as fresh as those good old days. I should have created my own memory museum to capture and preserve all of these. Would you imagine our happy childhood days when love letters are finely written in sweet scented stationeries and cards are well crafted with beautiful words and sincerest feelings of love and friendship? And who can forget the smiley faces, the beautiful collection of scents and stickers, the secret pen names, the poetic words, and heart-warming flatteries? Ahhh…those were the days of great adventures…carefree moments of creating dreams and wishes…and literally, an era of simplicity and hopefulness.

Yes, sometimes it’s good to think of happy memories when you are bombarded with uncontrollable spills of life. It clears your perspective and somehow, makes you feel not all days are bad and this one will soon pass. Perhaps, some of us went through days of faltering faith, tormenting nights of tears and worries, and unending race to nowhere. I did, and I still do from time to time. There are times, when I just don’t know how to pray and say thank you. There are times, when I get so impatient and too confident to do things on my own. There are times, when I expect too much and ended up so distressed with my expectations. There are times when my own race of life becomes meaningless and exhausting. But despite these low tide moments of my life, I realized, life is, and can always be beautiful if I choose it to become beautiful.

Would you believe, there is always beauty in every detail of our ordinary existence? There is beauty in the failure of our dreams…it motivates us to get up and learn and start again building new dreams. There is beauty in the parting of lives…it brings us to another beginning and a time to begin a fresh new life. There is beauty in being heart broken…it restores our hearts and makes our soul strong after the wound has healed. There is beauty in not having enough money…it makes us contented in living a simple life. There is beauty in patiently waiting for our destiny… it makes us realize even if the waiting takes a lifetime, everything will be worth the wait. There is beauty in being restless…it makes you cling to a great God and yearns for his protective embrace.

Indeed, there is beauty in love and pain…in high tides and low tides… in success and failures…in joy and sadness…in hellos and goodbyes…in certainty and ambiguity…in life and death. And remember, life can always be beautiful if you make it so.

Why I love THANK YOU

Thank You…

When someone utters these words spontaneously and with all sincerity, my heart dances with euphoria. When I give someone a gift, a favor, or a portion of my precious time, I ought to have something in return. But that something doesn’t have to be an expensive gift, a remarkable favor, or a return for my precious time.All I need to give you back to me is your sincerest thank you.

Photo by Story & Shots: Pure Love

It’s not actually the idea of expecting always something in return, but it is the remarkable feeling of joy that I get from being appreciated and thanked for. For I understand, the spirit of giving does not end with the gift being given to you. Rather it continues when you give thanks and make another person feel good.

You see, if the human race knows the importance of thank-yous in our lives,we could have prevented thousands of people from being miserable and distressed. We could have put a spark of hope in their lives,by simply thanking them for creating a difference in us. We could have move mountains and lift a soul by our simple whisper of thank you. And perhaps, if all of us take time to make it a habit to say that simple thank you, we could have created heaven in the middle of the world.

That is why, if there’s one word left in the world, 

I want it to be…THANKYOU!

The Reason for Rainbows

Rainbow on Sky photo  from www.7-themes.com

Has anyone of you seen a rainbow lately? Not much, I guess. I seldom see it myself nowadays and it makes me wonder why. I miss the beauty and the mystery it exudes. Rainbows never fail to amaze me since I was a kid. I always asked myself why it is beautifully painted in the sky and appears for some time? Why can’t it stay there for long? What are rainbows for? Where did it come from and where it goes when it disappears? Until now, I don’t know the exact answers. The only thing I understand about rainbows is…they are painted in the sky to remind us hope never ceases and God never forgets us. That’s why I always love to see rainbows.

Here's a poem I wrote long years back to remind me of Rainbows.

The Reason for Rainbows

Forty days and forty nights of unceasing rains and floods
There seems to be no more hope left for a sun to rise above
Every edge of the sky is painted with dark, angry clouds
There seems to be no end to the angels’ sob

When will the sun come out and dry the land?
When will the angels sing and tune the band?
When will the sky clear and brighten the heaven?
When will the rainbow appear and hope be given?

Sighs disappear, when rainbows appear
Clear, blue clouds can be seen all over
And colorful hope floats freely in the air
Yes, rainbows are there painted in the sky
To remind us always that hope never ceases
And God never forgets.

Scattering Butterfly’s Hope

Hello, friends….

I woke up today seeing paper butterflies hanging on the ceiling of my room. I wonder how these butterflies become the beautiful creatures they are. They seem to be blessed with many beautiful things… brave wings to let them fly somewhere and amazing colors to bring hope to the flowers.

If men have the courage to take risks and hope to change the way things are like that of a butterfly…then great possibilities are endless for each one of us.

So, here’s a challenge for you, friends.

Be like a brave butterfly and scatter butterfly’s hope!

Keep dreaming…

Chille:)

I love to do things that are not usual and obvious to the ordinary mind …things that require elusive imagination and radical passion. Some people call it strange…weird…hard-to-dig-personality. I call it spontaneous creativity.

Who ever dreamed of being surrounded with butterflies, feel the passion of their touch and hold the beauty of that joyful experience? I did…and I still do everyday. But I can’t afford to buy those expensive butterflies and imprison them in one place just to satisfy my radical passion. I wouldn’t endure the sight of those beautiful creatures being locked and caged for my own benefit. So I thought of creating my own butterfly sanctuary out of hard cutout colored pictures and let them hang in the ceiling of my room as if they are really flying. Then to add dramatic background in my room I put butterfly stickers and flowers of different colors and glow in the dark butterflies in the wall. Would you believe, it’s like waking up each day in a butterfly garden? If I stayed on dreaming or just waited for the chance to be surrounded by butterflies, perhaps, it would take some time to realize that dream or be there at the place I wanted to.

I also remember the time when very few people have recognized yoga as a good healing exercise. Some perceived it as something weird and senseless...a boring activity. Some even associated it as an agnostic or atheist’s work out. I wanted to see whether those perceptions were valid. So I tried it… even learned to love it …and skewed the old theories. Now I’m enjoying the healing energy –both body and soul- that yoga exercise brings me. If I were not curious enough to try it and disprove the old notion, I wouldn’t know and I will never ever know the healing power of yoga.

The lesson for me here is this: if I want to do something to change my world, the possibility of achieving the change I dream of lies in my hands. I don’t have to wait for the right chance or depend on other people to make it happen for me. Right chance takes place if I allow it to take place and change will come to me if I work for it (…which tells me I have to conclude my long-ignored unfinished businesses in life!). Sometimes, it really pays to go out of our shell, search out, and take a risk (even if the risk breaks our soul sometimes!).

Google image:  Hope for the Flowers by Trina Paulus

This reminds me of the story of the two caterpillars, “Stripe and Yellow” in the Hope for the Flowers. In the tale, Stripe and Yellow, want something more from life than eating and growing bigger. But they mistake the urge to get high so they get caught up in a “caterpillar pillar” filled with a squirming mass of caterpillar bodies, each determined to reach a top so far away it can’t be seen. Finally disillusioned, they discover that the way for caterpillars to find their particular “more”, or who they really are, is to enter the cocoon and “risk for a butterfly.”

Most of us experienced being disillusioned sometimes in our lives. Disillusion with the way life is made for us…disillusion with the way our world is turning…disillusion with our own expectations. We want to fly and reach the sky, yet don’t know how. We crave for many things, many wishes, yet don’t know exactly what we want. It’s as if we’re just waiting for a magical moment to tear down the whole order of things and in a strike of a wand, we’re expecting that everything will be renewed, and we’ll live in a whole new world.

There’s nothing wrong with being a dreamer. I am a dreamer and I will remain a dreamer forever. But I dream in a real world. And one thing I’ve learned in dreaming in a real world is how to struggle with faith and hope.

Some of us struggle to “climb the top” and would only feel contentment if they reach the top of the heap. Others are already there at the top of the heap yet feeling so empty… thus still searching for something more meaningful. But searching for one’s self, one’s destiny, one’s purpose for existence, is not always easy. Searching is a struggle…a difficult struggle. But the hard knocks of searching are there to give us a sense of achievement, a sense of hope that somehow we are going to a place meant for us. Some of us are not just meant to climb the top… some of us are meant to fly. For Stripe and Yellow, surrendering to the cocoon is the only way to fly and become a beautiful butterfly. For some of us, changing perspectives, changing priorities, finishing unfinished business and surrendering to serve others and touch lives is the only way to reach a complete, meaningful life.

The amazing transformation of a caterpillar, a lowly worm, into a glorious flying creature is hard to believe. But it’s true because we have actually seen a real butterfly. And as long as there are butterflies in the garden, the flowers will not cease from hoping and people can hope for other transformations invisible to the eye.

Fill your life with butterfly’s hope. And if you believe in that hope, try scattering it to other gardens. You just don’t know what your hope can do to other souls.