As I've begun to land onto the island I find myself covered in mosquito bites. I started getting eaten the night my plane landed. At first I had a bunch of average mosquito-bite-sized bumps on my legs and ankles. This quickly turned into a full-body allergic reaction of proportions never-before experienced. I had an intense case of hives in the form of big red itchy welts. It became so painfully itchy to move, so I spent two days lounging in bed and reading.
As I was reading Pema Chodron, I came across a passage where she talks about transforming poison into beauty. She cites the example of the male peacock who ingests small amounts of poisonous foods in order to brighten the colors in his tail feathers. While I seemingly had no control of the amount of poison coursing through my veins (and thankfully not enough to send me into anaphylactic shock!), it caused me to pause and wonder what brightness, or transformation, or opening this experience might facilitate.
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