Monday, February 8, 2016

I was walking our dog Bitey Bear one morning when I saw a rather large caterpillar on the sidewalk. I run back to the house, grabbed my camera, focused and pressed on the shutter. What a beautiful creature it was! 

I took several shots while trying to keep our dog from gobbling up the caterpillar. Thankfully, one of the photos turned out fine. 


All of a sudden, it dawned upon me. I was not looking at a caterpillar. I was looking at a representation of ME! 

As I write this post, I am the lowly caterpillar. Crawling... feeling in all directions... tentative... vulnerable... moving in slow, coordinated movements. One step at a time. A continuous effort to move forward. To reach for something. TO FULFILL A DESTINY.

The time will come when I have to shut myself from the world... to build myself a safe haven... to allow change and to embrace that change. I will do this not because I am incapable of loving. I will do this BECAUSE I LOVE.
Image credit
It may take some time. I may be missed, or I may be forgotten. I will be patient and those who truly love me will likewise be patient enough to wait for me to come out of my cocoon. They will be there when I bask in the glorious brightness of the morning. They will welcome me and see a new ME.

I may not become the most beautiful butterfly. 

I may just turn out to be a moth. 

The important thing is I will grow my own wings and be strong enough to fly and reach greater heights. 

I will look back to my humble beginnings as a lowly caterpillar. My heart will be full of love and gratitude for those who are willing to wait for me. I will give them the honor of being the very first ones to witness the change. 

I will be blessed with the gift of flight. I will be a symbol of hope. 

I will reach my dreams.

I WILL SUCCEED.

Note: The caterpillar I photographed above is the larvae of the Daphnis nerii, or the Oleander Hawk Moth. 

"The strikingly colourful oleander hawk-moth (Daphnis nerii) is one of the most widely distributed Sphingidae species in the world. Adults of this large, attractive moth have intricately decorated forewings, displaying a mixture of olive greens, covered with small blotches of pink and white. They also have a pale streak on the tip of each forewing."(Source:http://www.arkive.org/oleander-hawk-moth/daphnis-nerii/)

9 comments:

  1. What a wonderful article to read on a Monday morning. I am going through a ton of stress so it is important to take a step back and remember that beautiful things are in my future. Oh, and I highly recommend becoming part of the monarch project...nothing like watching a butterfly grow. Amazing.

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  2. This is beautiful. I love the analogy you used. I'm sure you're a butterfly and not a moth! The photo of the caterpillar came out really nice. I'm glad you kept your dog away from it :).

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  3. What an inspiring post! I believe we can all learn lessons from the different creatures found around us. I can also see myself in a caterpillar. I always dream of achieving all my goals in life and become a “butterfly”.

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  4. I love everything about this post including the photo! I have always loved caterpillars, it is so interesting how they turn into butterflies. Having these moments of realization are very refreshing.

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  5. I love this analogy you used of comparing yourself to the caterpillar. I, too, believe there is a time to shut ourselves away from others so that we can grow and improve. All the best to you as you change.

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  6. LOVE this. The catepillar's spots look like eyes! And I mean, moths can be beautiful too, and everything has a place in this world!

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  7. This is such a beautiful photo and I can see why you were nervous to see if one came out good. This came out beautifully I wish I could get a shot like that, I really need to figure out the settings on my camera. Plus my dogs probably would have grabbed it up before I could have snapped a photo. I can see myself in some of my subjects as well when I paint.

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  8. Such a nice thought coming out from photoshooting a caterpillar, but more than the thoughts and the moral lesson of this article, I am more amazed of how strange this caterpillar looks like. Nice shot, keep it up.

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  9. This is a wonderful post and metaphor. I love the way you've related it to your life and had an entire revelation about it. You'll be beautiful either way.

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