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I spent the morning searching for butterflies with my kids. Yesterday at the pool, Kariss diligently sought after a butterfly and was patient and persistent enough to get it to land on both her hand and her foot multiple times.
For our squirmy, easily-freaked out girly-girl, I thought this was quite a feat! So when she wanted to hunt the insect again today, I felt obligated (and delighted) to agree and join in.
Little did I know, we’d not only find one of the largest, most beautiful butterflies I’ve ever seen (I think it’s a Pipevine Swallowtail), but we actually caught it! I somehow managed to coax it into Britton’s bug cage and we discovered it was even more beautiful under the magnifying glass then from afar.
However, the butterfly was so big that it barely fit in the cage. Up until now, we’ve only caught little lightning bugs and crickets, and I’ve never had any qualms about shoving them in the cage and keeping them trapped for my children’s amusement. But for some reason, seeing this magestic creature trapped pulled at my heart strings.
Why should I care more about a beautiful butterfly than a creepy cricket? Are societal stereotypes creeping into every aspect of life now? Perhaps I just need to remember and continue to teach my children that all life is beautiful, not because of how we see it, but because it is beautiful in God’s eyes.
Why am I overanalyzing a morning outing? Who knows, but I do know that a bug’s life really is tough!
