Path of the Pearl: Beauty from Adversity
by Mary Olsen KellyAll art is autobiographical. The pearl is the oyster’s autobiography. --Federico Fellini
 This miraculous living gift from the sea--the only gemstone to be produced by a living entity--is the creation of beauty from adversity, art from irritation. It illustrates that even the worst and most painful invasion can become something of healing artistry. The pearl is a glowing example of a mortal threat transformed into magnificence.
As human beings, we know pain and suffering in wondrous variety. We all experience adversity and irritation, loss and anguish. We may encounter failure, death, divorce, and disease. But like the oyster, we can learn to embrace these experiences, recognizing the transformational opportunities they present.
The oyster coats the surface of an irritant with layer upon layer of pearly nacre, each layer microscopically thin. The layers are applied in sections, like the leaves of a cabbage, that grow around the nucleus of the pearl. The edges of the leaves are jagged and overlap. This microscopic layering is so fine that fingers feel only a satiny smoothness, the eye cannot perceive the rough edges.
The memories of our lives are layered like the nacre of a pearl, petals of a flower, rings of a tree. These overlapping layers contain the knowledge and learning of each experience. They shape and form us. They smooth the jagged edges of our difficult times. In this way, the nucleus of our pain
begins to integrate with the rest of our selves, the irritant journeys a little deeper inside us, but becomes less painful.
Like the pearl, our beauty is formed of life’s obstacles. The experiences of our lives, both thrilling and challenging, surround the core of our being. It isn’t always easy to find anything positive in the hardships we endure, but in time, beauty is often revealed. Each challenge is our nucleus for creation, each victorious work of art another pearl on our path. Transformation occurs again and again in our growing process. Every incident, every emotion, every success, every sorrow, becomes another layer of our development. Our pain, which can be unspeakably intense and sometimes debilitating, brings the lessons we never forget...
>>> Click to Continue Reading "Path of the Pearl"©
Copyright Mary Olsen Kelly. This article was originally
published at our website, SoulfulLiving.com,
in December 2002, as part of our "The
Feminine Spirit" Issue.
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