The Girl with The Butterfly Tattoo

There once was a girl who trusted the world.

She was a young and innocent girl, but also very anxious. She was shy and mostly hid behind her mother when spoken to which made the times they had to be apart, such as school days, very difficult for her.

The girl didn't enjoy school, to begin with. She was in the 3rd grade and didn't make friends very easily. Socializing scared her beyond no end and not understanding all of her schoolwork made her cry quietly to herself in class. School was simply not her strong suit.

One day, in school, the teacher announced to the class that there would be a project involving metamorphosis. She then proceeded to explain what metamorphosis was to all the bright-eyed, curious children. After learning all about it, each student was then given their own Caterpillar to watch grow and transform.

The children were amazed by their weird, little bugs- the girl especially. She got lost watching the Caterpillar slink along in its jar, all while the teacher was talking. She wondered what the bug would look like when it was all finished changing. She wondered if she too would be something totally different when she's grown up as well.

Days passed and the caterpillars grew. The children watched them carefully craft their cocoons and then tuck into them, not to be seen again for what seemed like an eternity.

They waited eagerly, all the while studying the changes their caterpillars were undergoing.

Then finally, the day came and the teacher announced they had emerged from their cocoons. The children were excited to see what they had morphed into and then, the moment was there. They each got their beautiful monarch butterflies and were all to set them free outside in the courtyard except there was one problem.. the little girl's monarch butterfly was different from the rest. It was the only one that could not fly.

The girl studied it closely, trying to understand. Why could everyone else's fly? Why couldn't hers? She wondered why the innocent butterfly wasn't even given a chance to survive.

The time came to set the butterflies free. All the children marched outside, proudly holding their monarch's high. They gathered in a circle and said their goodbyes to their butterflies. While some children were sad to say goodbye, others understood it was the beginning of the butterflies life cycles.

The girl, on the other hand, didn't understand anything.

She wandered off, to a quiet spot by a tree and watched everyone set their monarch's free together. She then held her monarch in her hand and apologized.

Why did she apologize? She didn't know. She wished things were different. That her butterfly was given a chance. She felt a deep sadness in her heart. She said goodbye and set her butterfly on the ground. She watched it momentarily and then walked back to the group of children, knowing her butterfly would die soon after.

At that moment, she realized the world was a harsh place that, in fact, couldn't be trusted. Bad things happen for no reason. Life is full of heartbreak and loss and longing for what you once knew and what could have been. The butterfly became a symbol. A reminder, even, to never take anything for granted because the world owes you nothing and can take everything in an instant.

The butterfly reminds her to cherish what she has. It reminds her to make it known to the people she loves, that she loves them. Because nothing is guaranteed and tomorrow is not promised, and so thus, she wears it proudly.