Dragonflies
On Resilience and Adaptation
The other day I went out of our bedroom patio to get a bit of sun and I saw a swarm of dragonflies flying around and it reminded me of my childhood.
When I was little, I used to catch them a lot. Dragonflies were part of the play when were young. We had no idea what to do with them but the catching itself was part of the game. I remember how easy it was to catch a dragonfly then. I think them as magical creatures.
Image by niwatn.th via Shutterstock
Then I grew into an adult. I remember a time when we were water rafting that dragonflies were landing on our raft. But they were much more difficult to catch now and I wondered why. I had to stop and just let it light on me or near me to catch it. But I never did. I just let them be. Maybe I have outgrown that phase.
In the spirit world, dragonflies mean the wisdom of transformation and adaptability in life-- something that I am having difficulties given our current condition. My body, mind, and spirit are so exhausted to adapt. Is adaptation even possible at this time? I’m tired. I’m exhausted. I’m fatigued. My mind is a blur.
Maybe I don’t have to do anything. Maybe I’ll just let my ‘dragonflies’ light on me without having to chase it. Maybe I don’t even have to try. Just let it BE.
I am still transforming. I am still evolving-- but in a different way. My transformation has to adapt to our current situation. I have to adapt to the current situation. I don’t have to chase anything at this time. I think that’s what resilience means, for now-- continuing to evolve by just BEing. Not forcing anything. Just let things “light on me”. Then with transformation comes wisdom.
