Growing up one of my nicknames within my family was "Bear" because of my affection/obsession with care bears and all things teddy bear-ed. This was an affectionate name given to me by my mother and used mostly by my brothers and cousins. As an adult looking back it would appear that I was given just the right name for the right time. There were many struggles within my childhood. Everything from living in project housing to not having enough to eat to at times being homeless. There were many things that shaped me into a bear and allowed me to be strong and fierce to survive but also to have seasons where sleep was the best survival mechanism, as it allowed me to protect myself while dealing with things out of my control.
Later my 8th grade teacher and mentor told me that I reminded him of a butterfly and so this became his nick name for me. He explained his observation as my growth from a tough and thick skinned young girl who held everyone at arms length , into a warm and beautiful young lady who was ready to explore the world and create beauty where ever possible. Thus my transformation from a Bear to a Butterfly, included my success and determination to stay at the top of my class throughout high school and my leap of faith to go 730 miles away from home in an environment completely opposite of what I was used to and fight my way through earning a Bachelors degree.
While completing my studies for a Masters Degree in International Relations, I studied for 8 weeks in Thailand. During this time I had the privilege of learning the skills of meditation from Buddhist monks. Our language and cultural professor explained that one of the highest privileges was to receive a new name from the monks during or meditation lesson. The monks named me Ubon which means lotus as in one of the most sacred Buddhist flowers. An explanation of the significance of the lotus is as follows: "As the lotus flower grows up from the mud into a object of great beauty people also grow and change into something more beautiful (hopefully!). So the symbol represent the struggle of life at its most basic form.Lotus flower tattoos are also popular for people who have gone through a hard time and are now coming out of it. Like the flower they have been at the bottom in the muddy, yucky dirty bottom of the pond but have risen above this to display an object of beauty or a life of beauty as the case might be."
So now my transformation from a butterfly to a lotus. I have earned my Masters Degree and been to 5 0f 7 continents and 11 countries around the world, I have witnessed many different cultures and several different lifestyles sparking a sense of compassion and understanding within me that has defined my life. Now as a lotus I am ready to begin my ascension into being an evocative member of society and creating an impact on the world around me. There are many lessons I carry from my bear and butterfly stages that I am eager to put to use.
Please stay tuned :-)
We go through several transitions in life,..much like most things on the earth. It is essential to ensure that we not only stay mindful of the lessons that each presents but to also put these lessons to use to help make life as productive as possible. Life is like a roller coaster ride, with twist, turns, parts that make us laugh and many scary parts. The most important thing is that when one ride has come to an end, even though we may be dizzy, crying, laughing or holding our stomachs we must hold on to the lessons of the ride in order to make the next one more enjoyable. In the end it should all be worth the ride!