Friday, June 2, 2017

Lessons from a Butterfly

Thought for the day: What a caterpillar calls the end of the world the master calls a butterfly. [Richard Bach]

[image by Leonard Chapel]
Most of us have seen monarch butterflies, but have you ever seen a monarch caterpillar? Its colors are so pretty, it's easy to imagine what a big beautiful butterfly he'll be one day, isn't it?

If he's lucky.

Not all butterflies are.



Time for a story...

Once upon a time, a very well-meaning lady with a loving heart was taking a hike through the woods, when she came upon a butterfly cocoon that was about to open.

"How lovely!" she exclaimed, clapping her hands in delight. "I'll stay and watch."

Breathlessly, she watched as a tiny hole finally appeared in the cocoon, and then for hours, she continued to watch as the butterfly struggled to force its body through that tiny hole.












Then, as though it were too exhausted to continue any longer, the butterfly stopped struggling and just sat in its cocoon, motionless.

"Oh, no," the well-meaning lady with the kind heart said. "I've got to help him!"

So she pulled out her pocketknife and ever-so-carefully enlarged the opening in the cocoon.







Thanks to her help, the exhausted butterfly easily emerged, but its body was small and withered, and its wings were shriveled.





The well-meaning lady with the kind heart continued to watch the butterfly, anxiously waiting for its big beautiful wings to flutter open and expand.

But they never did.

The butterfly lived out his life with a withered body and shriveled wings. Its wings never grew strong enough to support the weight of his body... and he never flew.





See, the struggle to emerge from a cocoon is necessary for a butterfly's development. Squeezing through a tiny opening forces the fluid out of its body and into its wings, making them strong and ready for flight.

Without completing that struggle, the butterfly can't fly.






      You see what I'm getting at? The moral of the story? The lessons to be learned?



Two things. First, before we impose our well-meaning help on another creature or person, we should know that our help is genuinely needed and/or wanted. Sometimes, the kindest thing... and the hardest thing...we can do is to stand by and offer support, while our friend overcomes his challenges on his own. And second, like butterflies, there are times we, too, have to struggle through some really tight spots in our lives. But don't give up, and don't lose heart, because determination in the face of obstacles strengthens us, and conquering those obstacles allows us to fly.





It's still a good thing to offer a lift or welcome resting place to butterflies and our other friends when they need it...









and to enjoy their visits and companionship... even if they do occasionally poop on your head.


In the end, we all... both butterflies and people... want to live up to our potential.

We want to fulfill our destinies... and we want to soar as high as our wings... and our dreams... can take us.











                          Until next time, take care of yourselves. And each other.


























53 comments:

  1. A lovely, very real post.
    In the iterim I think I want to be a caterpillar. They eat heartily, sleep for a bit - and wake up beautiful.
    Have a wonderful weekend.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Sue. Yeah, I suppose caterpillars do have it pretty good. :)

      You have a wonderful weekend, too.

      Delete
  2. Such a sad and lovely story at the same time.
    The Tucson Botanical Gardens has a Butterfly Garden House, with beautiful flowers, water and of course beautiful butterflies. Luscious to visit on a hot summer's day.
    cheers, parsnip and thehamish

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I love to visit butterfly houses, and also love to watch them fluttering in our yard. They're so beautiful, and yet so delicate. When we were in Tennessee, a butterfly landed on our friend's head and stayed there for twenty minutes or more. (I reckon he's even sweeter than we thought he was.)

      Cheers back atcha.

      Delete
  3. Love the sentiment behind this post! (Even if my butterfly-phobic self had to shield myself from the pics while reading, LOL. *is hopelessly weird*) Learning to overcome obstacles on our own is definitely a much-needed strength, despite how scary it can be at the time!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! (Sorry if the pictures gave you the creeps.)

      Delete
    2. LOL, it's totally fine! I know my phobia is a strange one, and your post was well worth reading... :)

      Delete
  4. Excellent advice Susan. I didn't know that about the hatching butterfly, but now if I ever see one happening I'll know to sit and watch for as long as it takes. we don't get many butterflies around here. I think I've seen three in the six years I've been here. Plenty of cabbage moths though.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wow! Only three butterflies in the past six years? Then again... you DO have koalas, kangaroos, and duck-billed platypuses, and I haven't seen an single one of them around here... ever!

      Delete
  5. Hi Susan - yes nature is so extraordinary ... there's a will, so there's a way - we just need to find our own and develop our own strengths and structure ... then live happily ever, as long as that is, after. Great analogy for not being so forward in 'providing help' ... the butterflies are out now and coming into full 'bloom' ... cheers Hilary

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi-ya, Hilary. Our butterflies are in "full bloom" here, too. Summer just wouldn't be the same without them.

      Cheers back atcha.

      Delete
  6. I love butterflies Susan, I rarely ever see one in the city though. I must say when I do, I totally appreciate their beauty. Such a great lesson in this story♡ Have a wonderful weekend xox ♡

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Me, too. I love butterflies. Their coloring is as beautiful as the flowers that attract them.

      You have a super weekend, too, Launna.

      Delete
  7. Such a wonderful post, Susan! And an excellent reminder. I also love the pic of the caterpillar. Those guys don't get nearly the attention they deserve. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! I'm glad you liked it. Even though a not-very-nice boy smmooshed a live caterpillar on my head when I was a little girl, I still like them, too. (The boy? Not so much...)

      Delete
  8. Loved this post, Susan. It is meaningful and well put together.

    Last year I found some (about 8) caterpillars attached to my parsley in my garden. I told the Retired Man and then went into the house to check them out on the Internet. I was so happy to read that they were going to be butterflies (blue ones) and went out to share this info with TRM. He greeted me with "I got rid of those things" and he thought that I would be happy. He wanted to help me, but unasked for help can have its consequences.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks. I'm glad the post resonated with you.

      Ouch. Yeah, sometimes unwanted "help" leads to unwanted consequences.

      Delete
  9. Very true, we have to push on through on our own sometimes and let others do the same. If you don't take away the net to let them fall, they'll never get back up.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Then again, if you DO take away the net, they might not get up, either. Depends on how far they fall and how rocky the ground they land on.

      Delete
  10. I love the advice behind this post, yes we need to be there to help one another but first we should make sure that help is needed, this reminds me of an incident when I was still using my crutches, going through a door I would push it open then hold it with the crutch closest to it, one day a lady thought I needed assistance and tried to hold the door for me, she grabbed the door and stepped past me hooking a crutch with her foot as she went by, I hit the floor and she was so embarrassed that I felt sorry for her.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh dear. I bet SHE won't be offering unsolicited help again!

      Delete
  11. Sorry...couldn't get past the butterfly pictures.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sorry. I didn't know you had an aversion to butterflies.

      Delete
  12. This is a beautiful post. It's worth reading twice.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you. Thank you. (You comment was so sweet, it was worth a double thanks. )

      Delete
  13. As wide-ranging pollinators, butterflies certainly give back to Earth more than they chew up as caterpillars, and are part of the wonder. As a child I thought of them as flying flowers, still do. Excellent post!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. "Flying flowers" is the perfect description of them, dude. I also like to think of them as flutter-bys.

      Delete
    2. I love "flying flowers"; it's a perfect description!!

      Delete
    3. Thanks Fishducky and Susan. You've inspired a poem on "Gardening With Geo."

      Delete
  14. Not any butterflies here, friend Sue, except the wee white ones that eat my cauliflower ... But I do help a different species to live it up for our 100 frost free days of summer ... and that is earth worms ... so every morning when I walk back from work, I help each and any earth worm I spot across the street/ side walk to the grass ... smiles ... Other than that doing lots and lots of nights right now, reading your book for the second time ... getting somewhat attached to Pearl ... smiles ... Actually she is my best night shift friend right now ... Please say hello to her from me ... smiles ... Thank you for this awesome read, friend. Love, cat.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Very cool. Even earthworms need a little loving from time to time. :)

      I feel honored and humbled that you're reading my book again, especially so soon after you read it the first time. Thank you for "getting" Pearl. She's rather near and dear to my heart, too. :)

      Delete
  15. I believe I'll have a nice little flight as soon as it stops raining.

    Love,
    Janie

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sounds like a plan. (It's best not to get your wings wet...)

      Delete
  16. Gorgeous post. I have taken to watching butterflies out of my office window during spring and summer. Beautiful creatures.

    Greetings from London.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks. I'm glad you liked it. Hmmmm, does your boss know about this butterfly-watching during work hours...? (I won't tell.)

      Greetings back atcha.

      Delete
  17. an excellent post and lesson. Well meaning can cause trouble. And for that baby or kid taking those baby steps, best to encourage but let them find their way (wings) so they can soar. Too easy doesn't do a thing. Have a great weekend

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks. Nope, too easy doesn't do a thing, but ya know, it WOULD be nice for things to come easily once in a while...

      You have a super weekend, too.

      Delete
  18. This is so good! I suspect, deep inside, all of us want to jump in and lighten another's load.
    Then again ... bittersweet, tough love.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! I think your suspicions are correct. I darned near bite the tip off my tongue to stop myself from offering unsolicited advise and/or help to our kids and grandkids. Only if they ask, only if they ask...

      Delete
  19. I once witnessed a moth emerge from a cocoon and it was the most amazing thing. I didn't know butterflies (and I assume moths as well) had to struggle like that in order to be strong enough to fly.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. How cool! I've never watched a moth or butterfly emerge from its cocoon. The closest thing I ever came to that was watching a baby chick peck its way out of its shell. Kinda the same, but different...

      Delete
  20. A fantastic story accompanied by a great moral. And I luv the photos - especially the one of the friendly butterfly in your hair.

    When I lived in San Angelo,TX, there was an annual migration of monarch butterflies which happened in early autumn (or late summer?) - thousands of them! It was a wonderful event to behold. I have some old videos of them (somewhere...).

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, wow! I've seen images of monarch migrations on some nature shows, but it must have been absolutely amazing to see it in person. An unforgettable experience.

      Delete
  21. I've observed and taken pictures of the caterpillars, but I didn't know about the butterflies having to struggle like that in order to get their strength. Great story, and great moral to real life!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Yes, yes, I get the lesson of your fantastic story... the next time I see a cocoon, pry that sucker out so you can see how comically weak and shriveled he is.

    (I'm kidding, I'M KIDDING... yeah, I know, I'm going to hell)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. HA! Nah, I don't think people with a sense of humor can get into hell. They might alleviate the suffering too much. :)

      Delete
  23. I really enjoyed reading this post and your images and photographs were good to see too. There is such a good lesson in the story you've shared here.

    All the best Jan

    ReplyDelete
  24. Lovely post, Susan, with a good lesson for us all. I really enjoyed this! :)

    ReplyDelete