A group of students watched a monarch butterfly emerge from its cocoon. It was a long struggle. The creature pulled and pushed, tearing at the rough material of the cocoon to win its freedom. Watching this lengthy battle, the students thought that if they snipped the last bit of cocoon with their scissors, they could help this struggling creature. When they cut away the last piece of the cocoon, however, the butterfly grew weaker and finally, with its wings still partly folded, it fell on the table -- dead. Later, the students learned that as the butterfly emerges from the cocoon, each push against the cocoon forces lifeblood into its wings, making them strong. The butterfly can fly only after it has completed this process. The students realized that by trying to make things easier, they had actually fatally harmed the butterfly. This is similar to becoming a survivor. As the butterfly goes into its cocoon prior to transformation, we may go into ours because of the abuse. When we start the healing process, the cocoon starts showing signs of light. The struggle may be painful and long, but when we finally emerge and become like that beautiful butterfly, we can start feeling love for ourselves and for others. We have to flap our own wings awhile before we can fly.