Seed

Why Struggle is Necessary for Growth "(Of Sprouts and Cocoons)".

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"The tiny seed knew that in order to grow it needed to be dropped in dirt, covered in darkness, and struggle to reach the light." -Unknown  

 

Have you ever witnessed a freshly-formed butterfly emerge from its cocoon? I have. It's beautifully frustrating.  

 

To be audience to that kind of struggle, my instinct was to just reach out to help. It took forever. And I knew if I helped, the helping would equal a sure death sentence for the metamorphed creature. 

 

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It made me realize that the metamorphosis that it went thru for several weeks was the "easy part", breaking free from its prison, however, was not. But, in case you weren't aware, those are the very moments where the butterfly gathers all of the strength it needs to face its new life.  

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Another example would be the tiny sprout. So fragile, and yet entirely strong as it pushes through the blanket of soil that once covered it. 

 

Three years ago, my husband and I started our first modest garden. We had little clue as to what we were doing and made some huge novice mistakes. 

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I recall my husband staring at these seeds the size of a sentence period and realizing that you must need to put 3-4 seeds per hole for there to be any chance of a decent harvest.  

 

Little did he know that our tiny 3x5 foot garden would yield over three hundred tomatoes that summer. We couldn't pick them or consume them fast enough. We gave so many away, it was hilarious. 

 

We surely won't ever make that mistake again. One seed per hole. One. That's all it takes for a tiny speck of potential to turn into a bountiful harvest. 

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It's not without growing pains, though. The struggle, the fragility, the dependence on the roots, the soil, the water, the air, the sunlight. All of these things must be in place or the harvest will never come.  

 

Some of us are in that time of struggle right now. Desperately trying to remove ourselves from a time of change. Desperate to escape and fly onward. But the change must occur, the struggle to be free must take place or we won't have the strength to keep going. 

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Others of us are in that growth phase, completely reliant on the pouring into that may come from others. Some of us are just waiting to be fully ripe so that we can nurture and sustain others on their journey. And it will come. 

 

It will come.  

 

Its no wonder that the process of life always, always follows the struggle. Butterflies, babies, fruit: all emerge after a period of rapid growth, change, and lastly, the struggle of their lives. 

 

Wherever you find yourself in your journey, may you seek to find the beauty in the struggle, because it's there and its there to make you stronger.  💗

 

Love, Alicia