Oh…yes, I’m the selfish caterpillar.

Teens and their parents fight. Yes, of course, but as much as that happens, I can’t imagine ever wanting them out of the house. They are teenagers who are acting like teenagers, but they are still our babies deep down there inside. I think I suck at parenting sometimes. I am emotional. I get angry. I don’t respect boundaries…yet…cause I’m trying to figure out when to let go. At what age?  You think the stages of ages prepare, but in my experience lately, it hasn’t.  So I’ll tell you a story only to make sense of it in my head.  I think in metaphors. Actually, it’s a personification really, but really both.

There was a caterpillar that loved its life. Things were cozy on the ground. She could see the trees and climb them slowly. She could marvel at the sky, but didn’t need anything to change as she saw winged creatures, new ones each day taking flight for the first time.

One day things started to change. The caterpillar heard whispers from caterpillar friends that there was this thing that happened. This aspect of them that would change. It would literally get so wrapped in its own world, cocooning itself in its chrysalis so that it was no longer part of caterpillar world. It wasn’t a butterfly yet either. It was in between worlds. No matter how much the caterpillar wanted things to stay the same…nature doesn’t work like that.  No matter how much the caterpillar feared the new world, it was happening.  To be a butterfly was its destiny.  It would have to take flight and soar to brand new, faraway places without its caterpillar self.  It would always have a part of the caterpillar within the butterfly.

The caterpillar doesn’t die.  It changes form.  It is a new chapter.  It is how God intended it.  It transforms both the caterpillar and the butterfly.  It is a huge level of trust on the part of the caterpillar and a huge level of courage on the part of the butterfly.  One has to let go in or order for the other to become.  Soon, the butterfly will bust her way out into the world and things will never be the same.  The caterpillar is preparing.  The butterfly is preparing…only in my story, they are in different cocoon/chrysalises.

In real life, I am not good with this college stuff.  This caterpillar is not ready for the butterfly to soar.  I am being a selfish caterpillar.  I am going to try my hardest to support the butterfly.  I will focus on the happiness of the butterfly taking flight…off to college.  I will strive to support her more and not avoid the inevitable.

What are you avoiding that is inevitable or just part of life?  Are there any changes that you dread?  We all have many stages of life.  These are all here to assist our growth. It’s just that usually when we’re so in it, we can’t see reality.  We have to trust that no matter what phase of it we’re in, it will work out. Seems so silly sometimes when our problems or challenges are so small compared to others, but it’s all relative.  Our stress is our stress.  Just know, it will all work out.