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The Butterfly Continues to have the Caterpillars Heart. by Sharon I Casale
Wednesday, September 6, 2017
Rated "G" by the Author.
We all live out the seasons of our lives. I am 45 years old and in the "fall" of my life but was reminded the other day never to lose the child "summer".
The last few days of summer...... down to one more day at the pool and two of my favorite residents came to see me; Debra and her granddaughter Madison who is 3 years old and people have commented that she could be my daughter.
We were sitting on the patio since the water is a chilly 71 degrees and both Madison and me are fighting off a cold or allergies. While sitting in my chair I felt something crawling on my leg and immediately looked down to find a caterpillar. That moment instantly reminded me to being a child in my backyard and when I would make mud pies and find several caterpillars. I've never been fond of many bugs but always had a soft spot for caterpillars, lady bugs, and fireflies.
The child in me let the caterpillar dance on my skin. Madison explained she does not like any bugs and was shocked I was not knocking it off of me. I told her he was tickling my leg and would laugh. Her grandmother put her hand on my leg encouraging the caterpillar to come to her and showed Madison it was okay to touch the caterpillar. After seeing the caterpillar on me and her grandmothers hand, Madison quickly realized this was a friend and not a foe. She put her little hand out and the caterpillar reached the top part of his body up and was trying to crawl on her and she enthusiastically exclaimed, "This is amazing!"
The caterpillar grabbed a nearby leaf and was walking into the corner when a nearby spider swooped down and landed on the caterpillar. Madison then yelled out," Oh no!" The spider made his way three times up and down on the caterpillar and Debra explained to Madison that the spider was putting a web on the caterpillar to eat him later and told her about the circle of life. Madison was upset and yelled out to the caterpillar, " I will miss you!"
At this point Madison was not the only one receiving these science, bug and life lessons. The inner child in me in this grown up body decided to rescue the caterpillar and I put a piece of paper under him and swooped him up from the clenches of the spider. Madison was cheering me on. The only thing I was missing was a cape as a smiled to myself.
I placed the caterpillar in a safe area and he was not moving. Madison's grandmother quickly told her he was dead but I immediately attempted to reassure her that he was probably faking until he felt safe.
It had been a few minutes and still no movement from the caterpillar. Madison and me kept looking hopeful to one another and waited for our new furry friend to spring back. Still no movement...
Debra and Madison left and I walked them down by the creek and
all of us continued talking for five minutes. When I got back up the pool I quickly checked on the caterpillar and he was gone. I was reminded of how Debra explained to her granddaughter about the circle of life.
The moment was gone and I began to think about other things.
Ten minutes later I went into the ladies’ room and there he was with a small leaf in his mouth .... my inner child smiled … that moment I had two appreciations; one for the circle of life and the second that there will always be an endless Summer in me.
What a delightful story, and a lesson for a small child that will most likely stay with her for her lifetime every time she happens upon a caterpillar. I wrote a poem for my oldest son when he was probably about six, when he captured a caterpillar and watched as it turned into a chrysalis, and then a butterfly. He may not remember the poem, now in his middle fifties, but I'll bet he remembers the lesson taught by nature. To every life there is a season.
