My Second Noble Truth

I used to be afraid of butterflies when I was a kid. Their large wings and captivating beauty intimidated me. I could admire them from a distance, but if they wanted to flutter around me, my heart raced nearly as fast and I ran. Until one day my sister sent me a magnet that said, "Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly."~Anonymous

This picture was taken in Mendocino, CA on a windy day while walking to a gray pebble beach. I didn't think that the butterfly would rest for my picture, but her true love came along to pose as well, assuring her that everything would be okay. Appreciating the cycle of life and the idea of metamorphosis, I knew I had nothing to fear. One day I would become my own butterfly, face adulthood and find true love. I was reminded that no matter what suffering I may be experiencing, things happen for a reason that may be unknown for many years to come. This too shall pass; I suffer because I'm human and I'm alive. To be capable and aware of your emotions prepares you with the tools for happiness. When you are finally happy, you know it because you also know what it feels like to think the world is over. In a similar way, many take their health for granted up until the moment they begin to feel sick.

Several times this week, I thought about the Four Noble Truths in Buddhism; life is suffering and its cause is desire. Every negative has a positive. Within dualism, two opposites cannot exist without the other because they are part of the same. Desire makes us believe we would be better if we had something extra in our lives, but when we receive it, we still have so much that we want and we often spend our entire lives working (to most people this means suffering). But for what? We all want different things, yet all we need is love. Why don't we spend 8 hour days working towards that? Somehow money has tricked us into thinking we can buy love when McDreamy aka Patrick Dempsey surely told me at the ripe age of 5 that we cannot.

I know $ brings opportunity for happiness, but I would rather barter my services (I'm trading a massage for golf lessons), exchange favors for meals, volunteer, live within walking distance of friends and parks, meditate, exercise outside of a gym, borrow library books, use freecycle.org and pick/plant my own food. It's not realistic for society, but I am only beginning to understand the layers of economics so please excuse my ignorance. I wouldn't want to be on a list of the richest people where your worth is described in numbers. I think I would be happier and healthier if I were free from the constant stress of not having it all or comparing myself to others. There is always someone better (or worse) than me, so I learn to take me as I am.

A friend brought it to my attention that I have achieved happiness and that the next 20 years of my life are going to be "Awesome!" which he followed with a high five. The information was startling and profound. I believe it, and from my experience, that's why I feel my life in particular is a lucky consequence of hope and faith. Our enthusiasm showed me that this is what I've been waiting for, that my life will unravel before my very eyes because I've laid the groundwork for it with the help of so many people. Now instead of fearing it, I welcome it with a warm embrace.