Pandora’s Box

Prometheus had angered Zeus, king of the gods, by stealing fire for the humans, so Zeus devised a way to punish mankind: he created a woman. And her name was Pandora. The goddess Aphrodite gave her the gift of beauty, the god Hermes gave her the gifts of charm and cunning, and Zeus’ wife, Athena, breathed life into the clay that turned her into a human.

Prometheus had warned his brother, Epimetheus, not to accept any gifts from Zeus, that it would be a trick, but Epimetheus was so taken by Pandora’s beauty he immediately took her as his wife. Zeus had given a gift to Pandora too. Some say it was a jar, others a box, but whatever it was this is for sure: It was locked. And there was a note on it that said, “Do Not Open.”

Pandora's Box clipart.com — Pandora’s Box clipart.com

“What kind of gift is this?” thought Pandora, “that is it beautiful, and for me, but I can never open it?” The curiosity gnawed at her daily, like an itch that could never be forgotten without just a little scratch, and so one day she turned the key in the lock, just a crack to peek inside. Would there be gold? Would there be fine silk or rings? What was this gift from the gods?

The gifts were actually the most terrible things Zeus could think of. Out flew moths that stung her like wasps, one at a time. Out flew Disease, and it stung her. Out flew Sadness, and it stung her. Out flew Poverty and Death and they stung her. Slamming the box shut, poor Pandora began to sob, for she had released all the horrors into the world.

There was a flutter still left in the box. Epimetheus said, “There’s nothing worse that can possibly come out. Open the box again.” She did and out came a dragonfly, a beautiful dragonfly named Hope.

We all have to deal with situations in our life that seem insurmountable; hope makes those situations bearable. Yes, there will be pain and poverty, disease and death. But there is also joy and laughter, strength and a life worth living.

I’ve met people who were told they would never walk again. They did.
I’ve met people who were told they would never lose the weight and keep it off. They did.
I’ve met people who were told they were too old, too young, too poor, too stupid to amount to anything. They did.

Yesterday, I took my mother for an MRI. They thought the cancer had spread to her brain. Would we like to know the results? Or is this just opening a Pandora’s Box? To stare at disease and sadness, pain and loss. The nurse told us the results today. A blue dragonfly of Hope came out; her cancer has not spread.