
A tiny yellow butterfly greeted me as I was walking down the street on my way to work. This was not the first time. In the previous days, there were white butterflies and even some dragonflies. Last weekend, a white butterfly with black patterns was in my zen garden. I can't explain why but these tiny creatures seem to me like pleasant reminders of the beauty of life. It is no coincidence that presence of butterflies and maybe even dragonflies speaks of good air quality. These creatures don't thrive in polluted environment. MIL, a gardener, shared that butterflies only live for a day after coming out of their cocoons. What a tragic reality for these lovely creatures of God. But that is their purpose in life.

Maybe, I have been so caught up with life's travesties of what is essential. I have been running the rat race for so long that I have forgotten how fresh air feels like. I have to sometimes tread perilous paths in juggling family and work.
I should be happy about the presence of butterflies in my place for my children's sake. They could probably never experience the kind of life we had in the past. I can tell them about it but there's no comparison to living it. They have an amazing modern fast-paced life with all the amenities and conveniences brought by technology. All these pale in comparison to the life of hard work and perseverance imparted by the past generation where nothing comes easy in earning one's place under the sun.

It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eyes.
PS: At habang sinasabi ko to, nagbabadya na naman ang isang mahabang araw. Pagdating ko sa opisina, isang sulat ang nasa lamesa ko galing sa isang mataas na opisyal na nagsasaad ng isang maselang trabaho sa araw na ito. Masyadong kinain ng trabaho ang oras ko sa linggong to. Di maiwasang me mapabayaan sa ibang parte ng buhay. Kelan ba matatapos to? Gusto ko ng simple at balanseng buhay lang.
I didn't want to work. It was as simple as that. I distrusted work, disliked it. I thought it was a very bad thing that the human race had unfortunately invented for itself.......... Agatha Christie (1890-1976)
2 comments:
Rivers? Yes, talagang palaban ako dyan noong panahon ng kabataan ko, kung sino ang pinakamatagal mag-stay underwater. Brings me back to my childhood rural days full of fun and farm work, too. But there is something ironic about the way you put in contrast the simple beauty of butterflies and the burden of your work. Napapa-reflect lang ako...
sayang nga di na maexperience ng mga anak natin yun naexperience natin. you also never fail to make me reflect with your comment. The contrast is intentional. Sometimes, life feels like a deadweight. In the whirlwind of our daily lives, we take for granted things like butterflies, bugs, the beauty of nature. Noticing them is like getting new eyes....... validate that I am still alive.
Post a Comment