The Dragonfly (or the gift of life)

Colin1

Intro: The concept of death and changes that are made in our lives as a consequence of bereavement are often very difficult to understand and adapt to. In some Buddhist communities they believe The Dragon Fly is symbolic for change and accepting it. Here is a fable told by them based on this theory to help them understand and recognize what has happened. I hope it helps in the journey to accepting the profound change in your life after this great loss. It is called :

The Dragonfly:

Once in a little pond, in the muddy water under the lily pads, there lived a little water beetle in a community of water beetles. They lived a simple and comfortable life in the pond with few disturbances and interruptions.

Once in a while, sadness would come to the community when one of their fellow beetles would climb the stem of a lily pad and would never be seen again.

They knew when this happened; their friend was dead, gone forever. Then, one day, one little water beetle felt an irresistible urge to climb up that stem. However, he was determined that he would not leave forever.

He would come back and tell his friends what he had found at the top. When he reached the top and climbed out of the water onto the surface of the lily pad, he was so tired, and the sun felt so warm, that he decided he must take a nap.

As he slept, his body changed and when he woke up, he had turned into a beautiful blue tailed dragonfly with broad wings and a slender body designed for flying. So, fly he did! And, as he soared he saw the beauty of a whole new world and a far superior way of life to what he had never known existed.

Then he remembered his beetle friends and how they were thinking by now he was dead. He wanted to go back to tell them, and explain to them that he was now more alive than he had ever been before. His life had been fulfilled rather than ended. But, his new body would not go down into the water. He could not get back to tell his friends the good news.

Then he understood that their time would come, when they, too, would know what he now knew. So, he raised his wings and flew off into his joyous new life!

barbara12

Colin that is so lovely..thankyou for sharing it xx

elnafinn

Thank you Colin. I know this "story" well and have a copy of it in my favourites. It has been used in our wider family to help in trying to explain death to young children.

Elna x

ruby2

How lovely..thanks Colin. x

frogmorton

Aww Colin

what a lovely story and worth thinking about too

Thank you

Toni xx

villier

Lovely Colin, I volunteer in a childrens hospice and it is the Dragonfly that they use to explain the passing of a child to their siblings, it is simplistic and beautifully put..........Marie x