The Trampoline Effect
written by
Jeannette
Zink
The butterfly is a visual beauty with
the deceptive stamina of an Olympic long-distance runner. They are a four-wing powerhouse
with the elegant grace and exquisite decorative coloring that even a patrician
would concede to a less noble position. Their
ancient Greek name is Lepidoptera … the rhythm and sound of the word a sheer
delight … perhaps a poetic jester to a time when dialogue exchange was the
social media of salon gatherings for intellectual debates.
There is another attribute to the
butterfly that has been leaping through my mind. The concept known as the butterfly effect is a
phenomenon where small causes can have large effects. One metaphorical example I read about on Wikipedia is that of a hurricane:
“The exact time of the hurricane’s formation
and the exact path it took were influenced by the minor perturbations, such as
the flapping of the wings of a distant butterfly several weeks earlier.”
Imagine the implications
of this concept when it comes to everyday exchanges that occur among the human
race. An innocent smile is casually
shared with the person so lonely that their heart gradually breaks from the
weight of a silenced world. The messages
that always end with “we miss you and
love you” … may be taken for granted by some; but, not by those who have
forfeited this rare gift. The Christmas
gift of a trampoline to a child, absorbing the world at the speed of light, may
be the butterfly effect of learning for tomorrow’s new discoveries.
Each of these
superficial actions may mean zilch to the abstract vision hosting our content
of day to day events. After all, the
chaos faced in just trying to make it from Point A to Point B is enough to make
a butterfly take the next u-turn in search of a calmer air current. Regardless of the benefactor, butterfly or
trampoline, we must not squander a single blasé act. For each may be the mustard seed that will
change loneliness to hopefulness; a superficial existence to worthiness; and, a
young life prepared to meet the challenges of tomorrow.
Remember when you once
bounced and tumbled on a trampoline … remember the bliss of flying through the
air as if on the wings of a butterfly.
Maybe the effect was a
lifetime of joy in learning from the possibilities that greeted each new brave leap
of faith.
May the whisper of the
butterfly wings touch your heart and the springs of a trampoline your joyful
companion as you travel this unpredictable lifetime journey. Learn from each twist and turn, and have
faith in each mustard seed.
Peace and love, my
kindred spirits.
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