Monarchs to Be

It's noontime and I'm filling the water dish for the outdoor tribe, aka the Pearley Crew, aka my five cats, and I happen to notice that on the overgrown fennel plant...there they are! Green, white and black caterpillars attempting to feed on the spindly shoots available. I've been shirking my fennel watering duties all summer, and now I regret my indecision.

No ordinary caterpillars, these. Years ago, I was a mere five minutes from ending the lives of earlier multi-hued "pests" save for a phone call from my bug-aware friend which gave them a stay of execution. And, it gave me a much needed reminder that all caterpillars are not alike.

A quick check showed about fifteen on the plant this year. I gave my fennel a good watering, in hopes some miracle growth will occur for my caterpillar friends. They will become Monarch butterflies in time, and though I will likely never see any of them, I particularly enjoy knowing that I helped keep their species flying in some small way.

Perhaps this post may be only for me. It was a small moment in a mostly ordinary day. But any instances of connection to the natural world help give my existence meaning. Often I feel rather unimportant in the workings of the universe. Just feeding my cats, putting seed in the bird feeder, and watering the caterpillar feeding bush, connect me to the natural world. And even these small connections feel real, and convey real heart-connected meaning for me. Such connections feed my inner self in ways that the material ownership world does not.

So I'm reminding myself to continue taking care of my little nature "world." It nurtures a few creatures who can use a little help. I'm one of them.