A coworker and I were discussing the cute little butterflies (elephants, Mel!) that I bought to put in my plants, particularly the plant in my office that has no color other than green leaves. She joked about how this was the shortest part of the butterfly’s life, the end, and how beautiful they were, but it is fleeting. I quickly thought how that was like a metaphor for the stage of life I’m in. Although, nowhere like the beauty of the butterfly, the transition to being comfortable in your skin, liking who you are, tends to come as you move into the senior years, and it is lovely. These years are shorter than the rest of one’s life, but there is a cool thing that happens (which would really be great if we could have experienced it earlier….would have saved me some BIG mistakes, but life typically doesn’t work that way) where you recognize that it’s ok to like what you like, disagree with what you don’t believe, wear what you want to wear, love who you genuinely love….be, YOU.
At my age, I’ve finally come into my own. Oddly enough, it is similar to the person I was in my 20’s, the one who didn’t realize she was supposed to conform, and it’s very satisfying. I spent many years complying with that which others thought I should be. Like that girl in her 20’s, I don’t do that anymore. I am authentic. I shed my cocoon, I’m a butterfly. Well, metaphorically speaking.
grammyjoy 
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