(For a better experience, read while listening to Jackie Evancho’s “With or Without You”. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FceCTGI32Hg)

Through many lonely nights you labored on as you reached for a dream. You shared your vision of a beautiful world across space and time. Your visions were clear but I doubted that you could reach those shores. You loved me; we were to be in your world together and so you would wait and you did. You sold those ideas to me and waited for me to believe in you. How good you were at selling! You gave me your hand which though calloused from working with rough hand tools, was still pretty. I took your hand and got on a boat with you as we set to sea.

Those storms came, they rocked us, we were at the mercy of the waves. I reminded you of my warning that this would happen. “Of course, there’d be storms”, you cried. You knew they’d come. O, how you cried that I just believed, that I could have a little more faith. “We aren’t so far out to sea precious one”, I said. With a shaky voice laden with pain, I persuaded you to let us send an SOS and turn back. You quietened; I sent the message, a rescue boat came. We went back home. Then came along a fella who thought like you; turned out he was captain of a ship. You spent much time with him talking about ideas of a beautiful world.

That morning came like every other before. The breeze from outside was cool as it always was at that time of year. Nothing out of the ordinary. I watched as you moved around inside the house in that lovely red dress. And then I saw it. The sun was rising in your eyes and you had that look. You were going away I realized. I had given your dream my all but I’d known it wasn’t enough. Your bags were packed and you came over to hug me. You held me tight and you didn’t cry. I figured you were leaving with that fella. As you walked towards the door, the voice of Jackie Evancho was carried into the room from across our neighbor’s open window.

I couldn’t help a painful smile as I pondered the words she sang in her soulful rendition of “With or Without You”. This was the moment of your emergence and you were going to do it without me. Flicka, I understand that it’s a move you must make. Maybe I’d known that the day would come. You’ve broken forth as a beautiful butterfly. Go on pretty heart; may your sweet passion for a better world strengthen you to push limits; may your wings catch winds of possibilities as you pollinate ideas that yield good impacts. “Farewell my love”, you said as you opened the door, with tears in your eyes.

(A butterfly version of this narrative is available at: Once Upon a Month – Emergence)

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