Butterflies

Down the road from my house in Idaho, there was a small section of milkweed. In the summer, my sister and I would walk there and lift each milkweed leaf, looking for monarch caterpillars.

When we found our caterpillars, we would carefully bring them home and put them in bug jars. We fed them milkweed leaves until they spun a chrysalis. Then we just had to wait.

After a little while (it felt like FOREVER!), the monarch butterflies would emerge and we would watch them fly away.

It was magical.

I knew from the beginning what the end result would be. I never wanted the caterpillar to stay in the jar forever. I looked forward to when it would change into a butterfly, spread its wings, and fly.

This week I dropped off my son at college. I’ve had a lot of emotions, as expected. As we arrived at his dorm, my son turned to me and said, “I’m kind of freaking out. Everything that happens is up to me!”

Yes. YES!

Magical.

We moved all his things in, and there was a shift. I could feel it. In one passing moment, I knew it was time to go.

See you soon, butterfly.