The lamb and the wolf

Often, people who project a certain image of themselves outwardly host a diametrically different reality inside. The wolf disguises himself as the lamb in order to bring your guard down enough to trust him. On the other hand, the lamb may disguise himself as the wolf in a conscious or unconscious effort to create an armor of protection for himself. Underneath the wolf facade, the lamb purrs at the world with an innocence that may be tarnished in an instant. It seems essential for the lamb to hold a mask out as a shield against the harsh world.

The lamb only wants the kindness of the world to embrace his own child-likeness. But cruel expectations bear down upon the lamb in forms of disapproval, admonition, and disrespectful smack-downs. The lamb thus thinks of hiding from these storms. The wolf facade houses the lamb's inner vulnerabilities in a tough structure. The lamb is safe and lives in the roomy bubble that its fiercer mask perpetrates.

Perhaps cowering under such grating conditions seems the ultimate choice in self-preservation. But if an assumption can be made about any living mindful creature, it is that growth comes from a process of painful adaptations. We cannot grow in our comfort zone because we are highly familiar with its workings. Therefore, in creating a strong wolf shell to protect the weak lamb inside, the chance for the lamb to toughen up its own skin dwindles. Energy is spent on making a better and stronger armor, so the wolf grows daily. On the other hand, no energy is spent for the lamb to get used to overcoming adversity.

Ideally, the world would change to nurture the lamb's growth in gentle ways. As perfect as that may be, the probability of it happening is slim to none. We can only pray for the lamb to see a different option than creating a facade that does not serve him over the long term. We can only hope that the lamb would find strength and determination enough to grow out of its wolf armor and face the world in its own skin. It won't be easy. Yet, many lambs have done it.