My Life In Word

Have you ever seen a dragonfly?

I have.

It was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. That dragonfly soared to heights previously unknown. They were beyond grasp. Unattainable. Not because of self-limitations but by other’s constraints. But Lord, when she spread her wings — if you could have only seen that DRAGONFLY!

I had initially written a poem called Dragonfly for a friend who was going through a difficult time. At the time, she wasn’t ready to receive the message. However, an opportunity presented itself to share it with another. I shared it with a co-worker. And the story, as I remember it goes a little something like this…

One morning I was sitting at my desk, and I just happened to look over toward her office. Something was different. I couldn’t quite put my finger on what it was. So, I sat there observing, my eyes scanning the confines of her 10×10 in search of what it was. Everything was in the same place as it was the day before. There were no new pictures or decorations. The only thing that appeared to be visually different was that it was brighter.

Still a bit perplexed, I walked into her office and asked, “Did you change something in your office?” She looked around, then said that she had not. I said, “It’s brighter in here. Did you get a new light bulb put in?” Again, she replied, “No.” At this point, she is looking at me like I had lost a bit of my mind. I explained to her why I was asking. I said, “I thought something changed because it is so much brighter in here today, even you look different.” In a moment of unfettered exchange, she shared with me that she had recently broken up with her boyfriend. She said this was the first time in years she felt like herself. I stood up from the chair from which I was seated, extended my hand, and said to her, “Well, Eileen, it is nice to finally meet you!” The expression on her face was one of sheer joy and gratitude. Her smile engulfed her face. Her brightness grew even brighter, bursting into the fibers of my soul. She said, “Thank you. It’s is nice to meet you, too.” At that moment, we became friends.

It was her; she was the change. She was the shining light. Her aura was beaming. She had always had dark circles around her eyes;  they were gone. It was as if someone had photoshopped them from her face. Dark circles come from fatigue. Merriam-Webster defines fatigue as weariness or exhaustion from labor, exertion, or stress.  She was weary, exhausted, and stressed from the laborious effort she was putting into an unhealthy relationship. When she freed herself from the confines of that relationship, she blossomed. She had set free the essence of HER!

After this exchange with her, I knew what I would be sharing with her for Christmas, which was about two weeks away. Dragonfly!

I am pretty sure we cried. Her, because I saw her. I know I did because I am a water-bag when it comes to seeing people grow and evolve. I told her that I wanted to experience what life had waiting for her. The year came and went. A few weeks before Christmas, I sat at her desk with a sticky pad and made bullet point notes of her new life. Her Christmas present from me: Dragonfly, Too.

To see her transformation was mesmerizing. I had watched her mature before my eyes. This maturity came from change. With that change came self-realization. Self-realization was the result of her mental and emotional maturity. For the first time in a long time, she had a clarity of vision and thought. She began to self-reflect.  Her image of self became uninhibited. She was finally able to see beyond the limitations and the mundane things of this world. She had allowed herself the dive into the vastness of her mind. The depth of her character expanded. I saw in her power and poise that I hadn’t seen before. She began to navigate her life with such grace and elegance, like that of a ballerina skillfully navigating the stage. A pure display of the power of self-love!

She is the reason that I chose a dragonfly as my logo. I had not understood the impact of my words until experiencing this moment with her. It opened my eyes to the notion of using my words to effect change in others. I mean, not only did she soar, she even got a dragonfly tattoo. Although I haven’t seen her in many years, a part of her resides inside of me. I will always be thankful for that moment of authenticity that we shared. Thank you, Dragonfly! Keep flying!

Food For Thought: Sometimes in order to heal we have to let things go. What are you holding onto? What do you need to free yourself of? A person? A place? A thing? A job? What is it in your life that has you in bondage, chained and fettered to the ground, unable to soar?

Names changed to protect the privacy of individuals. I chose Eileen because it means shining bright light.

Featured Photo by Skyler Ewing on Unsplash

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