Transformation Through the Eyes of a Caterpillar

I woke up and knew that we had to enjoy this day. 

A high of 82 degrees, full sunshine, a light breeze and well, the end of September.

We loaded up granola bars and water bottles into a backpack, grabbed your bike helmet and headed to the park.  It was a beautiful day and you were so happy to zoom up and down the streets and trails.

When we arrived, there was another little boy your age and the two of you had your run of the place.  It was perfect.  Swings, slides, sand, and lots of this song:

Down on the corner at the bakery shop
There were lots of little doughnuts with sugar on top
Along came Claire with a penny to pay
She took a pink doughnut
And she gave it away...

And then, out of nowhere, you and your new found friend discovered this:

 Honestly, I don't know if I've ever seen a caterpillar that big.

You were mesmerized.

The only one you've seen that large is in our Eric Carle "Very Hungry Caterpillar" book. You made mention of all of the pie, cheese, and fruit that this hefty guy must have consumed and wondered where his family was.

The mother of the little boy remarked that the caterpillar must be looking for the perfect spot to spin a cocoon.  And then, we talked about what it means to change into something different and why anyone would want to be something that they're not already.

It was hard to explain until later on our walk home, I showed you a Monarch.  Beautiful orange and black flying all around us.

I told you that the butterfly was once a caterpillar and that sometimes in life, in order to be different and most of the times, different in a better way, we have to change, so that we can try something new.

I'm not certain that you completely understood, but you said that you wanted to be a butterfly for Halloween because flying is really fun.

Our walk reminded me how amazing that nature is and that truly transformation happens all around us...and that maybe, instead of clinging to our current state, we can trust that we're destined for something loftier, lighter, newer, and ultimately, beautiful.