Our first is when we enter adulthood. The second is a rite of passage whereby we come to know our soul – and experience our deepest, most transcendent revelations.

To do this, we need a strong sense of self – a stable core – to keep us steady and sane during the second cocoon – to hold the revelatory truths our soul shows us.

This past winter, some little creature attached itself to the window of my front door (behind the evergreen wreath) and entered its cocoon. When I discovered it, I was delighted. And honored. I took care to keep it safe – carefully opening and closing the door, for instance.

I was also stunned as I watched it weather the weather – New England nor’easters, frigid temperatures, and howling winds.

I’ve been so looking forward to watching this little thing emerge. I wondered what it was and what it looked like…I really hoped that I’d get to watch its emergence.

But, I didn’t.

I came home last week and gasped when I saw the cocoon cracked open and empty. To be honest, I felt a bit sad to have missed the grand reveal.

But maybe…it wasn’t my business. Maybe a little mystery is a good thing. Maybe not knowing it all is the point.

I haven’t taken the cocoon down yet. It feels like a powerful message and metaphor. A reminder that life finds a way, new beginnings are personally guaranteed by the Universe, and that the harshest of conditions are sometimes survived by a steady diet of isolation and boundaried self-care.