A very dear friend and her husband have been experiencing numerous challenges these past few months. She mentioned how it sometimes felt like they were hanging on by a thread with no quick fix in sight.
Hanging on by a thread.
🛠Her words reminded me of the monarch caterpillar that I have been caring for who had just that morning morphed into a chrysalis.
After eating and eating and eating on milkweed leaves from our garden, the hungry caterpillar found a comfy spot at the top of the mesh butterfly enclosure and spun a silken thread to attach itself there. The caterpillar hung upside-down in a J shape for a day or so. Then, in less than a few hours of wriggling contortions, the caterpillar was a beautiful green chrysalis!
All the research I’ve done indicates that the metamorphosis into a butterfly should take between 10-12 days. I can only imagine what is going on in there, but I’m sure it’s a struggle and restructuring of immense proportions.
Aren’t we all doing the same to some degree lately?
These especially challenging times are presenting us with the inevitable lessons needed for our inner selves to use as food for growth.
Not easy? You bet! Worth it? Yes!
Hanging on by a thread as we transform, keep in mind the beautiful wings we are growing. We are all somewhere in the midst of that miraculous process.
Trust the process. Have faith. Know that YOU are becoming the most beautiful you that you can be.
🦋 Oh, and what flight you will take on those colorful wings!
*Many thanks to our local library for the loan of the butterfly enclosure. They raised and released painted butterflies as part of their children’s summer reading program this year.
**I had no idea that planting a few milkweed plants would lead to such a fascinating study of caterpillars and butterflies. Grateful for the Universe’s nudge to follow that interest. The caterpillar has kept me mindfully occupied and fascinated during our recent CoVid-19 self-isolation. ðŸ™
***With our unpredictable weather - 6 inches of snow mid-September last year, I am sheltering another caterpillar that looks near to forming a chrysalis.
Hanging on by a thread.
🛠Her words reminded me of the monarch caterpillar that I have been caring for who had just that morning morphed into a chrysalis.
After eating and eating and eating on milkweed leaves from our garden, the hungry caterpillar found a comfy spot at the top of the mesh butterfly enclosure and spun a silken thread to attach itself there. The caterpillar hung upside-down in a J shape for a day or so. Then, in less than a few hours of wriggling contortions, the caterpillar was a beautiful green chrysalis!
All the research I’ve done indicates that the metamorphosis into a butterfly should take between 10-12 days. I can only imagine what is going on in there, but I’m sure it’s a struggle and restructuring of immense proportions.
Aren’t we all doing the same to some degree lately?
These especially challenging times are presenting us with the inevitable lessons needed for our inner selves to use as food for growth.
Not easy? You bet! Worth it? Yes!
Hanging on by a thread as we transform, keep in mind the beautiful wings we are growing. We are all somewhere in the midst of that miraculous process.
Trust the process. Have faith. Know that YOU are becoming the most beautiful you that you can be.
🦋 Oh, and what flight you will take on those colorful wings!
*Many thanks to our local library for the loan of the butterfly enclosure. They raised and released painted butterflies as part of their children’s summer reading program this year.**I had no idea that planting a few milkweed plants would lead to such a fascinating study of caterpillars and butterflies. Grateful for the Universe’s nudge to follow that interest. The caterpillar has kept me mindfully occupied and fascinated during our recent CoVid-19 self-isolation. ðŸ™
***With our unpredictable weather - 6 inches of snow mid-September last year, I am sheltering another caterpillar that looks near to forming a chrysalis.
996 Reads
- Posted by mindyjourney
- Oct 1, 2021
- Comments (10)
Readers Comments
Rajni wrote: Nature is our greatest teacher. Patience of caterpillar to morph into beautiful butterfly is needed. Sister mindy your love for nature stands out. Thanks for putting it in beautiful words using caterpillar to butterfly story.
bluebuddha wrote: Lovely to read this Mindy! â¤ï¸
Mish wrote: The Universe gave you this “helper†to help get you through the frightening covid scare...grace comes. May it come for all who feel like they are “hanging by a thread†ðŸ™
michelelpurce wrote: you are great for caring for these. and i often think of the butterfly who was "helped" to emerge and he was so weak he didn't make it. it was the fight to emerge that made them stronger. it is so hard going through many times but it does make us stronger. :)
pluto178 wrote: It is odd that this year it has been one thing after another for so many of us all we can do is offer support and wait for change to come hopefully positive change. X
Balou wrote: Hope your friend and her husband will be coming out as butterflies soon!!! Sending them much love for the difficult time until then!
dotmatrix wrote: ♥.
butterkind wrote: Very well said to trust the process and have faith. Caterpillar story is captivating
DANCE wrote: Fascinating! Hope your friends will be well.
unknown wrote: I have always taken refuge in Chemistry the way you take refuge in nature. There's so much I learnt this way as a child. Glad that your self-isolation was not exactly isolation 👌👌👌
