Day 16: May 24, 2012 ~ Late Bloomers

Day 16: May 24, 2012 ~ Late Bloomers

"Not all those who wander are lost."

~J.R.R. Tolkien

Wooly Bear Caterpillar

Today I am celebrating late bloomers...a topic I know something about! The little critter in the photo above is my new hero. This amazing creature was one of the stars of the Discovery Channel production Frozen Planet, which by the way, you must see if you enjoy nature and wildlife documentaries...it has the most stunning and dramatic film footage of life in the arctic regions. They actually filmed this little guy over the course of several years. You see, the wooly bear caterpillar has a unique life cycle of freezing and thawing over and over again. As winter approaches it goes into a little underground space where it freezes solid, and then it comes out in the summer to eat as much as it can, and then goes back into its frozen state, and so on, for 14 years, until it has enough energy to transform into a moth.

It has its own natural rhythm; it matures in its own time. I think late bloomers are like that. I appreciate the J.R.R. Tolkien quote above, "Not all those who wander are lost" because I can relate to that sentiment. I have been called "a poster child for the Jack of all trades and master of none". Well, that may be true, but I sure have had an amazing journey of discovery and learning, for which I am very grateful. I have persued serious studies in dream work, Feng Shui, and Reiki. I became a certified Prayer Practitioner for a New Thought church. I have dabbled in writing and photography, and even studied graphic design for a time. And I have always kept a day job to support these passions.

Now I feel like the caterpillar is transforming, and I am finding my wings. This blog is my favorite endeavor so far, and I can't wait to see where it leads! It is helping me connect with my most true self and it is combining my knowledge and skills from all those other paths. And, other doors are beginning to open as I follow Spirit's lead, inching along like that little caterpillar, one day at a time, being pulled by my heart's desire.

Late bloomers just have their own life cycle that doesn't fit the mold. They have many interests and passions. It can be frustrating not to be able to focus in on one thing, especially when that is the norm and everyone around you seems to have it all figured out by the time they are 20 or 30 years old. I am inspired by people like Julia Child, who began her career in mid-life, and went on to revolutionize the world of French cuisine. And Grandma Moses, who was in her 70s when she began painting. And Laura Ingalls Wilder, who published her first novel in the Little House series at the age of 60-something.

These women discovered later in life something they were passionate about and just went for it. We all have that spark of divine illumination inside, and when the time is right, it will light up the world.

To late bloomers everywhere, I celebrate your journey and wish you blessings on the way!