Spring!

A refreshing time of year. The flowers are blooming in full force, bees are buzzing, and butterflies are exiting their chrysalises and rejoining life anew. Reminds me of an anecdote.


Spring 2007

I have a niece. Beautiful nice little girl with an easy smile and quick laugh. She was four years old and wanted to interact with spring by means of watching a caterpillar turn into a butterfly. My sister-in-law, good mom that she is, was happy to oblige her daughter’s request.

They prepared a box to safely hold captive a caterpillar during its transformation period. They caught a wild caterpillar and delivered it to its new home fully equipped with generous servings of greens. A few sticks were arranged just so to properly host a chrysalis.

Caterpillar, obeying its internal clock, made its chrysalis after two weeks of eating and crawling around. For ten days it remained in the chrysalis in the pupa stage of life. The transformation having taken place it emerged a butterfly. My niece was very excited at the beautiful creature she was able to watch up close fluttering its wings and testing its new parts.

The day came to release the butterfly. A beautiful bright spring day. Mom and daughter went to the back yard for the butterfly’s release. It would fly out into the world from whence it once crawled along inch by inch.

The box was opened. The butterfly did not immediately bolt out. It took its time as if to say, “Hey, thanks for providing me with a safe peaceful home while I was so vulnerable for those few weeks. You guys are all right.”

With that it achieved lift off for the first time in the wild. In less than one minute of flight, a bird swooped down and snapped it up. All gone.

“What happened, mommy? What happened,” asked my confused niece.


Oh, well. It was a nice effort. But the circle of life prevails. Enjoy spring.
-klem