Cicada emerging from it's shell
When I was a child, every summer we visited relatives in small towns in Nebraska. One of the most cherished memories from that time, has to do with the upward migration of a group cicadas. The streets in the neighborhood where my grandparents lived were dotted with mature trees that provided perfect migration vehicles for cicadas ready to transition into their short lived adult-hood. One year, in particular, there was an abundance of the fascinating insects.
As my sister and I would walk along the streets with my dad, we studied the tree trunks closely, hoping to find one of those curious cicadas as it made it’s ascent. Mostly what we found were the empty shells left behind–with the trademark split down the back. One evening we spotted a live cicada in the midst of it’s climb! I was totally excited! My dad picked up a small tree branch from the ground, and we gently removed the cicada from the tree, and put it onto the smaller branch.
We carefully carried the branch to my grandparent’s house – being mindful not to disturb our prize. Once we got there, we propped the branch up in a glass, and watched as the cicada climbed to the top of the little branch, where it stopped. We sat for a couple hours mesmerized as the back of the crusty brown shell began to split, and a larger green insect began to emerge. As we watched the transformed life emerge, I remember my body being filled with excitement and anticipation! It was truly a magical moment. A miracle. And I was witnessing that miracle right before my eyes! It took several hours for the adult cicada to emerge fully.
Curious, we watched in total amazement, marveling at the bright green color of it’s body, and tiny folded transparent wings that were tucked carefully inside like a folded parachute. As the insect continued to emerge, it moved slowly as if to carefully weigh in the impact of it’s growth, and assess the newness of the world around it. Once it had cleared the old shell, the wings began to unfold. It was an incredible sight.
What I remember about watching the miracle unravel before my eyes, was the excitement I felt in my body and my entire being. It changed me in that moment. Something so beautifully colored and amazing had emerged from the cast away awkward looking brown shell. It seemed absolutely impossible, yet I was watching it before my eyes! That sense of new possibility, of awe was locked into my awareness and memory. The memory was so vivid, I remember it, some 40 years later, as clearly as if it were yesterday. At that moment anything was possible!!
As I reflect on watching that miracle unfold, the question I am left with in my current life – is the question of “what feels SO impossible today, that could possibly come alive with a fresh breath of curiosity?” I offer the question for your consideration!
The cicada had to leave behind the old brown fragile covering that no longer served a purpose. That shell reminds me of old worn out beliefs that have also outgrown their purpose. And yet, the tendency is often to protect those old beliefs fiercely–as if they were as fragile as those discarded outer coverings of a cicada.
What one belief are you willing to consider that you have outgrown? Can you see yourself breathing a fresh breath of curiosity around that belief and allowing it to transform?
I invite you to consider that in a split second, curiosity allows anything to be possible!
(photo graciously donated by Anita Gould. You can see more of her photos on Flickr at http://www.flickr.com/photos/anitagould/)
