Lessons Learned…
From A Butterfly
Becky
brought in a large jar containing grass, a couple of sticks, and a furry, fat
caterpillar. The lid of the jar had many small holes so “Fuzzy” could feel a
little breeze. Right then, Fuzzy, with Becky’s approval, became our class pet.
Very attentive babysitters kept an eye on Fuzzy from eight to three, Monday
through Friday. Evenings and weekends,
although Fuzzy was on his own, he was never out of any of our thoughts. He was
the recipient of pictures, poems, a song, and various decorations for him to
look at just outside his jar. We loved him. One ordinary Monday morning
everything had changed. He had disappeared into his own homemade chrysalis. So
still. Kind of like a sleeping bag. How did he know how to do that? Is he
lonely? We watched. And watched. We missed him. We waited. Before long, though,
everything changed again. We arrived at school and Fuzzy was out of the
chrysalis. He was a little bit wet and crumpled, but he was really trying to
stretch and exercise in his new body. He couldn’t move very well in Becky’s
jar. We had some very big decisions to make; we needed a class meeting outside
with Fuzzy. What should we do? We sat in a circle in the grass with Becky
holding Fuzzy in his jar. Keep him because he’s our pet, said someone. The jar
is too small, said someone else. We can get a bigger jar. But he needs to fly.
He can fly in a bigger jar if it’s a lot bigger. Fuzzy needs to fly in the
trees and sky and play with his friends in the flowers, said Becky, that’s what
he needs to do. Audible gasp, you mean let him out of the jar; let him go? He
needs to go, continued Becky, he needs to be free. Becky was right, we all
ultimately agreed. So right there in that circle on the grass, we each offered
Fuzzy our best wishes, and thanked him for being an awesome pet. Then Becky
opened the jar, set it on its side in the grass, and out Fuzzy crawled. We
watched with silent smiles as he stretched and exercised his new wings. Within
just a few minutes, Fuzzy jumped aboard a soft, sweet breeze and flew into an
exciting new adventure. We waved goodbye. And we smiled. We loved him, we
raised him, we set him free.
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