About a week ago, the boys found a very chubby caterpillar munching on the parsley we grow in a large pot on our back deck. My first inclination was to toss it far away, as it was definitely taking a toll on the plant. But Milo and Oliver were so excited, I realized it was a teaching moment. We went inside and looked on the computer to see what type of butterfly it would change into, and it was a swallowtail! Such a beautiful, magical creature. We put it back and I shrugged my shoulders, noting that we had plenty of parsley, after all.
And this week, what did we see? A beautiful swallowtail butterfly fluttering around the parsley, acting quite strangely. Upon further inspection, Milo and I discovered that it was laying its eggs, one at a time, on the underside of the parsley. It was really cool to watch. Emil and Oliver joined us, and they stood as still as stone until the butterfly flew off again.
Of course it was not the same creature we had seen a week ago (it takes a lot longer than that), but it reminded me of the delicacy of life, and when we see the whole circle come around to the beginning, it is refreshing. Life can be simple like this. You hatch. You eat. You grow. You have a baby or two. You fly off and die… ha! Just kidding, but you know, sometimes life seems really unnecessarily complex sometimes. This summer has been so full of ups and downs, so busy and more than a little bit crazy. This whole butterfly business was a good reminder to see the big picture, simplify, and try not to get stuck on the hairy details of the every day. And more than anything, it was a good reminder to stop and just observe the world around us.
Too cool!
At the pool today, a butterfly hung out with me for like an hour and I couldn’t believe how awesome it was to just chill with a butterfly so close to me.
So pretty! Wyatt loves butterflies and caterpillars so much- I’m not sure I would be kind enough to let them eat my parsley though. Good for you for putting science and nature above herbs.