There is nothing quite as scary or exciting as releasing your first precious, hand-raised butterfly into the wild.
And there is nothing quite as heartbreaking as watching it struggle mightily to fly, only to fall defeated to the ground.
You ask yourself how this could have happened. You see many other young adult butterflies soaring in the sky - graceful, confident, ready to take on the world.
Why isn't your butterfly like them?
Did you hand-feed him too long? He was all you had for so many years and you loved him so fiercely.... could you have denied him experiences he needed to build strong wings?
The younger butterflies finally came, one after the other, and took up so much of your time.... did you abandon him at a critical stage in his development, after hovering so much he never gained the independence he needed? Is he just a late bloomer? Or is he bound to be different for the rest of his life?
You cry tears of remorse and confusion - out of his presence, lest he think himself a disappointment to you and become truly crippled in discouragement.
You dry the tears and come out. You tell him it's OK.
You help him brush off his wings , regain his bearings, and try again.
And you hold your breath and pray.
Because it's all you can do.
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4 comments:
Very nice. I've had the experience as a human parent and as the "parent" of many a butterfly cocoon. Gosh, don't get me started on all the tadpoles we raised either ;-)
I do understand. It's so hard to let go of them and watch them fall. But we have to let them fail and make mistakes. They learn from this. He'll fly. Just keep loving and supporting him.
Thanks for understanding Kathy. I usually stay away from posting emotionally heavy stuff, but sometimes it helps to put into print what I've been feeling.
Thinking about ya, Nina!
God bless,
Sallie
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