Butterflies glide across the warm, spring air, scattering themselves among the milkweed plants. We see all their different colors, shapes, and sizes fluttering across the sky, like nature's confetti swirling into a celebratory eruption of tranquility. We stand in awe, mesmerized by their beauty, yet, there are other remarkable traits that exist within butterflies too. We take pictures of them, wear them on clothing and even get them tattooed on our skin to have constant reminders of these traits. There’s a lot we can learn from butterflies and their way of life that pertain to our own lives. After all, we too are remarkable creatures.

We all know butterflies have incredibly unique wings. Their wings are composed of thousands of tiny scales—each scale adds to the design of the wings, making them intricate and delicate. Butterflies cannot see their own wings–they have no idea how beautiful they are. We as people suffer the same plight; we cannot see our own proverbial wings as every other person can. We cannot see all our individual scales—our quirks, the way we smile at someone we care about or laugh at a joke—all the things that make us beautiful to everyone else. Nobody can see all of what makes them beautiful and unique, and because of that, we cannot possibly compare ourselves to those around us.

Butterflies go through metamorphosis, which is their series of incredible transformations. A butterfly starts out as an egg hatching into a helpless larva, learning its surroundings. The caterpillar then forms itself into a chrysalis—possibly the most important stage.

The soon-to-be butterfly is encased in so much darkness; not suffering, but transforming. We all have chrysalis stages, too. Sometimes we hide ourselves away in a layer of darkness. However, like the butterfly, we change. The hardships we muddle through and the darkness we face are temporary. We come through the other side stronger and more beautiful than before, showing our true form—just like the butterfly emerging from its chrysalis.

Some butterflies have bold wings, with bright, beautiful colors. This is so predators recognize the colors and know not to eat them. I see this as learning to show our true colors and be ourselves with confidence. We need to be proud of who we are and show our wings.

If a butterfly’s wing is broken, the first thing it’s going to do is try to fly. Butterflies have the determination to keep going, no matter what. They are delicate, but they are also strong. Their wings are thin, but butterflies overcome so many obstacles throughout their lifetime. Each year, monarch butterflies migrate 2,500 miles to follow the warm weather and find a good, safe place to lay their eggs. Throughout these arduous obstacles, we still admire them for their beauty and grace.

An insect that so easily balances on the tip of our finger has such an immense impact on its future generations, as well as the world as a whole, bringing harmony to our ecosystems. Each of us has just as much of an impact on the world, and if we forget that, all we have to do is spread our wings.