Make Pearls out of Problems.

Pearls mean tears.

Doris Lessing

Now days, pearls are not as valuable as before, thanks mainly to pearl farms where oysters are “forced” to produce pearls on demand. But before the existence of cultured pearls and rather realistic fake pearls, in the olden days, wild pearls were rather rare and extremely valuable. The reason was that not every oyster produced a pearl. Rather the contrary, as an oyster containing a wild pearl was a beautiful exception. Irregularly shaped with swirling colors and tones; it’s their luster, their beauty, and their rareness that make them so special. But to understand this, we need to understand what a wild pearl is.

Oysters and mollusks thrive in muck, where their hard shell protects them from a horrible habitat. They are able to withstand what their environment throws at them, with their outer rock like skin serving as their armor. But every once in a while, a miniscule parasite will slip by, threatening the oyster’s life. As a defense, the oyster will seal off the invader, turning what would have tried to kill it into a precious treasure sought by many who see its beauty and value.

As strange as it may seem, we need to learn from the oysters and the mollusks. We may have developed a hard skin as we have learned to deal with the harsh environment that surrounds us. But it’s usually that small thing, that tiny detail that slips past our defenses, that is the greatest threat to our person. So, when we deal with this threat, with this danger, we are rewarded with experience and wisdom.

As we learn from this experience and as we grow in wisdom, we start turning what would have killed us, into a precious treasure that we hold close to our hearts. What was once a threat has not turned into a treasure, what was a problem is now a pearl. It gives us value and worth beyond what we had before. And it’s only when we are willing to open up our hard skin to someone who deserves it, can we pass on that Pearl of Wisdom.