Writing to his would-be sweetheart, Fanny Brawne, the famous English poet John Keats sighed, “I almost wish we were butterflies and liv’d but three summer days – three such days with you I could fill with more delight than fifty common years could ever contain.”

While I can not say the symbolism of the butterfly/caterpillar has been significant in my life, lately I meet with it more than ever before.
It never ceases to amaze me just how much we, as humans, share with them.
The survival of the caterpillar before metamorphosis and its journey to becoming a creature of unparalleled beauty and grace is similar to that of humans when they go through their inner transformations.

Each cell of the caterpillar is programmed to self-destruct and consume itself.
Once a caterpillar has disintegrated almost all of its tissues, the epithelial structure remaining is used in the division of new cells required to form wings, antennas, genitals, etc.

For us to witness the majestic sight of those exquisite wings gracefully fluttering across the world, the caterpillar willingly embarks on a path of self-destruction, only to subsequently rejuvenate itself and embrace a new existence—a life of soaring through the skies and indulging in the sweet nectar of flowers.

Metamorphosis is a stunning display of evolutionary mechanisms at work and humans go through it also.
Our genetic blueprint bears a multitude of information, encompassing generational curses, patterns, traumas, as well as light codes. The sole pathway to our transformation lies in the dismantling of our former selves. This process of destruction manifests in diverse ways and can span from weeks to years. Similar to the caterpillar, we remain unaware that upon emerging from our cocoon, we shall sprout wings and take flight.

I am humbled by the remarkable journey of these creatures, and I can hardly believe that they have deemed me worthy of their gentle presence and interactions.