Becoming Her

I was sitting at lunch today when a sign on the wall caught my attention. It said: “Watch out for pearls in the oysters.”Of course, my mind..always running like 15 tabs open at once, immediately started turning that over. I thought about the process an oyster goes through in order to produce a pearl.

Here’s the simple version:

When a grain of sand or an irritant gets inside the oyster’s shell, it causes discomfort. The oyster’s natural defense is to coat that intruder with layers of a substance called nacre, the same material that makes up its shell. Over time, layer after layer builds up until something beautiful forms. What once began as irritation, pain, and struggle becomes a pearl.

That thought stopped me for a second. Isn’t that the same with so many things of beauty? They’re born out of discomfort, pressure, and time. That includes our own transformation.And here’s the part that hit me hardest: if you stop the process halfway, you don’t get the pearl. You have to see it through.

For me, seeing it through has meant teaching myself something I never thought I’d have to learn, how to relax and rest. I’m in a constant state of moving, not only physically but mentally. Discovering meditation and building in regular exercise has been my way of finding rest. And it’s vital. If we want to hold that pearl in our hands, if we want to see the reward, we can’t burn out before the process is complete.

So don’t let the hard days win. Remind yourself that the reward is worth the discomfort. Place a pearl bracelet on your wrist, keep one in your pocket, or find any small reminder that says:This pain is temporary. This pressure has a purpose. This process is creating beauty.Take the time to rest. Take the time to breathe. But whatever you do, don’t give up.