The Story of Butterfly

Once upon a time, there was a young man at the edge of the lake. He looked pensive. His eyes empty, staring the water in front of him. All side of the edge has been passed by him, but there ‘s no point that makes him satisfied. Just the silent place, until there’s a voice greeted him. Ooo, there were other people there.

 
“What’re you doing here young man?” Someone ask. Apparently there was  an old man there. “What are you worried about?” The young man turned to side, “I’m tired old man. There was so many kilometres of distances I’ve walked to find the happiness, but I never find it in myself. I’ve run through the mountains and the valleys, but there was no sign that the happiness come to me. Where do I should lookfor it? When will I find it?”

The old man sat closer, listening attentively. He looked the tired face in front of him. Than he began to talk, “There is a garden there, if you want the answer to your question, just try to catch a butterfly for me.” Then they looked each other. “Yeah… catch a butterfly for me with your hand” the old man repeated his words again.

 

The young man rose slowly. Stepped towards for one direction, the garden. Not for long time, he found the garden. The garden is full with trees and flowers are blooming. Not surprisingly, many butterflies were flying there. The old man, looking from the distances, see the behavior from the anxious young man.

The young man began to move. He headed a goal sneakly. Slowly. But, Hap!! The target was missed. He chase the butterfly to the other direction. He didn’t want to lose the prey. But again. Hap!! He failed. He started running irregularly. Hit here and there. He breakthrough the grass and plants for the butterfly. He lunge the shrubs and bushes there. His move is growing wild.

The scene continues, but no butterfly can be captured. The young man started to be fatigue. Breath heavily, his chest moving up and down quickly. Until finally there was a shout, “Stop it young man. Get some rest.” The old man walked slowly. But look, there a bunch of butterfly flying on either side of the old man. They flying around, occasionally alighted on the old man body.

“Is that how you pursueing the happiness? Running and crashing? Hit here and there aimlessly, no matter what you are damaging?” the old man looked at the young man. “Son, lookingfor the happiness is like catching a butterfly. The more you lunge, the more it will go away. The more you rush, the more it will move away.”

“But, catch the butterfly inside your heart. Because happiness is not an objects that you can be handled, or something that you can keep. Find the happiness inside your heart. Search the feeling inside your heart. It would not run anywhere. Fact, without you realized it, the happiness will come to yourself.

The old man raised his hand. Hap, suddenly, there is a butterfly perched on his fingertips. The wing-flapped butterfly is so beautiful, showing the beauty of God’s creation. The charm is so awesome, the wing petals slowly, like a happiness inside the heart. The color is so beautiful, as beautiful as the happiness for who can find it.

 

Finding the happiness is like catching a butterfly. It is difficult, for those who are too eager, but easy, for those who knows what they are looking for. We may be able to find just with lunge here and there, hit here and there, and just breakthrough right here and right there to get it. We could have chased them just with run fastly, all over the course. We can also achieve it with passion, like catching our prey then eat it.

But we learned. We learned that the happiness can not be such ways. We learned that happiness is not something that can be handled or an objects that can be stored. Happiness is the air, and happiness is the scent of the air. We learned that happiness is in the heart. The more we catch, the more of happiness would go away from us. The more we try to reach it, the more of happiness will move away.

Try to find the happiness inside your heart. Let that feeling stayed, and eternal in our heart. Find the happiness in every step we walk. In working, in learning, in living our lives. In the sadness, in the joy, in the silent, in the boisterous. Find your happiness, slowly, quietly, in the sincerity of our hearts.