The Butterfly - Grayslake Photographer and Writer

The monarch butterfly story captivates me.  Less than 1% of caterpillars become Monarch Butterflies.  They go through four stages of life; egg, caterpillar, chrysalis and adult butterfly.  The life span of a butterfly is 2 to 6 weeks after it becomes a monarch.  It takes four generation (four different butterflies) of the less than 1 % to achieve a phase known as diapause.  This fourth generation of butterflies is stronger and faster so that it is able to migrate the hundreds of thousands of miles to Mexico.  The life span of the fourth generation butterfly is more than seven months.  Although, these butterflies have never been to their final destination they know exactly where they are going and how to get there.

I spent some time this weekend with my 85 years young grandmother.  I listened to her and soaked her in.  Breathing in who she is and holding her hand.  She talked about the time of Poncho Villa. She told me about selling an egg for 7 cents and filling her apron with candy.  My grandmother recounted her arranged marriage to my grandfather and teared up when she started to talk about him.  She also had us laughing with unexpected jokes.

My 8 year old gave me a beautiful card she made at school for Mother's Day. Part of it reads, "I love you because you take care of me and help me find out who I am."

I wonder how many generations it will take for us to make the transformation.