My friend shared this with me, thought you might enjoy it.


A Butterfly

Author Unknown

A man found a cocoon for a butterfly.
One day a small opening appeared,
he sat and watched the butterfly for several hours
as it struggled to force its body through the little hole.
Then it seemed to stop making any progress.
It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could
and could go no farther.
Then the man decided to help the butterfly.

He took a pair of scissors and snipped
the remaining bit of the cocoon.
The butterfly then emerged easily.
Something was strange.
The butterfly had a swollen body and shriveled wings.
The man continued to watch the butterfly
because he expected at any moment,
the wings would enlarge and expand
to be able to support the body, which would contract
in time. Neither happened. In fact, the butterfly spent the
rest of its life crawling around with a
swollen body and deformed wings.
It was never able to fly.

What the man in his kindness and haste did not understand,
was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required
for the butterfly to get through the small opening
of the cocoon are God`s way of forcing
fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings
so that it would be ready for flight
once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon.
Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our life.

If God allowed us to go through all our life
without any obstacles, that would cripple us.
We would not be as strong
as what we could have been. Not only that,
we could never fly.

A lupus flare often rears its head at times of increased stress. Learning how to manage lupus involves taking the time to recognize the stressors in our lives. Once our stressors are “named,” we can take the time to figure out ways to limit their power and put them in their place. In my article, Lupus - Flare Management , I discuss the significance of taking inventory of the details surrounding past flares. Details like times of the month or year for example, these details can help in planning ahead for potential flares. Some flares can be predictable; they arrive like clockwork on occasions like the yearly visit from our in-laws, or in response to working a 10-hour shift at work. Paying attention to how our bodies respond to their environment is respecting lupus.

It may be helpful to note what time(s) of day we have the most energy. Is it after 10 hours of sleep, a 20-minute catnap, or a walk around the block? All of these considerations are important “notes to self.” Being mindful of what works and what does not work allows us to better manage the length and intensity of a flare. During this first year after my "official" diagnosis, I have continued to work toward learning what it means for me personally to respect my lupus. We all experience lupus in different ways and so the way we grant respect to lupus will also look different. One thing is for certain and that is that the time and attention we devote to caring for ourselves is time well spent.

Aretha Franklin’s hit R-E-S-P-E-C-T conveys expectations of respect in no uncertain terms.  Lupus tends to speak the same language, or at least in the same tone.  It makes itself known in no uncertain terms. Listening to our bodies and being attentive in meeting its needs can be the greatest way we can respect lupus on our terms.