Studies in caterpillars continue! So far 5 have emerged from their chrysalides, with 1 remaining, and it has been so fun watching the whole process, although I think I might enjoy it more than the kids... Every time we release a new one, it seems so unlikely that it will be willing & able to fly away after having been exposed to such a small environment to begin with, but even the ones with imperfect wings have flown off right away, and flown so very high! Maybe they end up getting eaten by predators but... We won't focus on that possibility!
It will be weird to finally pack away the butterfly habitat, considering it has lived in the middle of the table for the past month...
This week we have been praying fervently for a little girl in our community who was severely injured in an accident with a horse. On Tuesday one more butterfly emerged from its chrysalis and we heard the prognosis wasn't good. On Wednesday we set the butterfly free and learned that sweet Ida had gone home to be with Jesus. (You can help the family with significant medical expenses if you are able, and I know they will appreciate your prayers! You may recognize her last name from the books her father has written.)
So we're hugging our babies a little closer right now, and accepting annoyances with a little more grace. There is no way of knowing how short a time we might have with these sweet little ones.
Imagine having the butterflies emerge as Ida passes away. That's the kind of thing that one would see in a very heavy-handed book -- but this was real. It's like "Author's Message" was flashing all over it.
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