| I
am no fan of the caterpillar. Funny, as children we joyfully grab them from the pavement, talk to them, pet them, let them crawl on us and even try to keep them in jars. Thirty years later the mere site of one gives me the heebie jeebies. Gross! Last week after watching hundreds of these slinky silken beings travel across my deck and front porch-each of them in search of a safe haven in which to transform- I had an epiphany. Maybe as children we intrinsically recognize the caterpillar as part of our own selves. I can remember feeling a certain empathy for these creatures, which is probably why I used to pick them up and carry them across the parking lot, assuring them a safe journey to the woods. I didn't want to see a single one meet an untimely and squishy death. Today I ponder the fact that we are all a part of the caterpillar and vice versa. In a sense we are all trying to make our way across the asphalt jungle of life, trying to get to a place where we can finally feel free enough to release our inner beauty. I look back on my own life and recognize there have been a lot of little kid hands lifting me up and carrying me when I didn't feel I could make it across the lot on my own. Over the weekend I saw a caterpillar making his way up my front door. I didn't stop long enough to see where he was trying to go, nor did I really care. I was busy with my list of tasks for the day. A little later on, after I'd been in and out a few more times, I noticed something interesting. He'd spun his cocoon and gone into his chrysalis right on my doorbell button! What a fitting symbol for me at this time in my life. The butterfly has been a personal sign of mine for many years (I'm sure I am not alone in this). Throughout my life I've had many experiences of cocooning, hiding myself away from the rest of the world, spun into my own little nest, trying to transform and emerge anew. Maybe this is why I recoil when I see a caterpillar. Eek, bluck, and gross. Sometimes it's not easy remembering the journey to the cocoon, even when we have all ready transformed into butterflies. That caterpillar deliberately placed himself on my doorbell so I would see him every day and be reminded that I am Blessed beyond comprehension. In just a short while, he will emerge a transformed being to fly off and begin anew. In much the same manner, I will be opening the door to a new and wonderful life as well. The door bell? Well of course you do know that "every time a bell rings an angel gets its wings"? (Couldn't resist that one, sorry) The butterfly is a universal symbol for the transformation of life. It is a symbol of great joy and great change. But most importantly, butterflies remind us that the power of metamorphosis is always within our reach. May you find a caterpillar at your front door very soon! (c) 2005, Alexis |