Years ago my mom received a scary medical diagnosis. My siblings and I wanted to find a way to uplift her spirits, so we created little gifts for her to open each day. One day, she opened a scarf with butterflies. We told her that she was in her chrysalis phase – undergoing her metamorphosis to become a butterfly – and that soon she would be a butterfly.                     

     Years later, I experienced my own health crisis. My mom came to me one day with the same butterfly scarf in hand. She said, “I think you need this now” and I did. To me, the butterfly is not only my reminder of the strength my mom and I both carried in our journeys, it’s my connection to her. I also carry a belief that the chrysalis phase, although the most challenging part at times, is exactly what is needed to push us toward doing the inner work required to transform and change our lives.