I was sitting in my backyard one beautiful summer day when I noticed a caterpillar dangling, upside down from the back of one of my lawn chairs. He was wiggling around, swinging to and fro and I was fascinated because I knew he was about to change into a chrysalis. This was an experience I had never witnessed so I decided to stay and watch.
I couldn't take my eyes off of him because the contortions were just so uncanny. He seemed to be bubbling from the inside out, like something else was moving under his skin. Then, all of the sudden, his back split open and his little caterpillar body dropped from him like a worn out coat. All that remained was a gelatinous blob that resembled neither caterpillar nor chrysalis. I always thought caterpillars "wrapped" themselves in a chrysalis but the change I was observing was happening from the inside out!
I watched for several hours as this amazing little being tightened itself into a perfect turquoise package complete with the typical Monarch's strand of golden droplets around its crown. I moved the chair to the back of the house to ensure the chrysalis would have a safe transformation and, strangely enough, I was lucky enough to witness the moment the butterfly emerged.
Metamorphosis is a profound and mysterious experience. Change is encoded in us and therefore cannot be denied. Change happens from the inside out, starting with the tiniest chromosomal spark, rippling it's way to through the vastness of all you are and all there is. It just goes to show that with some time, and little internal wrestling, small changes become life-changing experiences!
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