I am a storyteller at heart. As with all storytellers we see symbolism and stories to motivate, encourage and teach us in many things; particularly in nature. This is a story of a Cicada shell.
I shared this story with my Hope Group this morning. In our case
the symbolism applies to dealing with loss and struggling to rebuild our lives.
But it can apply to many struggles people face today. To you the shell might be
a rather boring and colourless Cicada shell. But I see it as
a thing of beauty and this is why.
This empty Cicada shell has been clinging to a Bottlebrush Tree in
my garden for two weeks. Despite what at times have been
fierce winds, it is still there. It’s a graphic metaphor of what many of
us experience after losing our husbands and wives.
Our hearts and souls ripped away until all that remains of
us is an empty shell. But it is more than just that, it is a symbol
of a struggle to survive. The struggle the Cicada went through to break
free to enable it to live again as a ‘new’ Cicada. I realized the shell is a
reminder that despite their struggle, the Cicada lived. They have changed,
but they are free to live again just as we will survive and continue to live
after the death of our partners. We will be different, possibly even better
people, but we are still us.
Yes, the shell is dull and brown but if you look closly you will also see the shimmer of gold. And yes it is empty, but it wears the scars of struggle and it tells a much
bigger story, a better story, a story of life and of hope.
