The Parable of the Beetle on Its Back

The Parable of the Beetle on Its Back

I would like to share a reflection that touched my heart in the most unexpected way.

A few days ago, I found myself thinking about our fragility as human beings. About how certain experiences change us forever. Moments so profound that, after living through them, we no longer respond to life in the same way. They make us more compassionate, more aware of the pain of others, and perhaps a little more human.

As I reflected on these thoughts, I arrived home after running a few errands. I began climbing the stairs to my apartment and, when I reached the second floor, I paused for a few moments to catch my breath.

That was when I saw it.

A small flying beetle was lying on its back.

I'm not usually comfortable around insects. In fact, they tend to make me nervous. But that day, something was different.

As I approached, I noticed the little beetle raise one of its legs to protect itself from what it sensed was coming toward it.

It happened almost instantly.

A simple reflex.

The instinct to survive.

Without realizing it, I stood there watching.

I thought about how extraordinary it is that such a tiny creature possesses the same instinct shared by every living being. When we sense that our lives are threatened, our first impulse is to protect ourselves. It is a universal language that reminds us of the incredible value of life.

I continued up to my apartment, but I couldn't stop thinking about what I had just witnessed.

When I came back downstairs, the beetle was still there, struggling to turn itself over.

Carefully, I helped it regain its footing. However, it ended up very close to the edge of the walkway. I thought that if I nudged it just a little farther, it would probably fall.

Even so, I gently moved it toward the edge.

Then something happened that left me with a lesson I will never forget.

The very moment it reached the edge...

it didn't fall.

It flew.

At that moment, I realized that the instinct to survive helps us endure when life turns us upside down. It gives us the strength to keep fighting, to protect ourselves, and never give up.

But there comes a moment when simply surviving is no longer enough.

We must spread our wings again.

So often we walk through life believing we are standing at the edge of the abyss, when in reality we are standing at the edge of discovering a strength that has always lived within us.

Perhaps our hardships do not come to destroy us.

Perhaps they come to remind us that even after life has turned us upside down, we are still capable of flying.

And that was the lesson I unexpectedly received from a small flying beetle.

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A Reflection for You

I share this parable with everyone who feels that life has turned them upside down. With those facing illness, loss, violence, family struggles, financial hardship, or any circumstance that makes them believe there is no way forward.

If today you feel as though you are standing at the edge of the abyss, I want to remind you of something: perhaps you are not standing at the end of your story. Perhaps you are standing at the very place where you will discover a strength that has always been within you.

Never underestimate your ability to rise again.

Because even after life's hardest moments, there is always the possibility of spreading your wings once more.

With love,

Lumina Foundation – Social Empowerment TX

"We ignite the light that transforms lives."