Some days just seem to crawl along don’t they? So little progress is made towards our intended destination that it’s difficult to stay motivated and enthusiastic about the task set before us. Take heart. The caterpillars are here to shed some light on a situation that befalls us all at times.
The great thing in the world is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving.
~ Oliver Wendell Holmes
Though we’re already well into the fall season, caterpillars can still be seen roaming the trails. They seem more determined than usual as they motor along. Yet compared to us humans, their speed is still painfully slow. Don’t they get discouraged? How do they keep their sense of direction intact while crossing such wide expanses?
Don’t they ever second-guess their goals as they plod along, and wonder if it’s all worth the tremendous effort?
Sometimes thinking too much can destroy your momentum.
~ Tom Watson
No, I don’t think they dwell on the length of the journey or sink into spirals of despair at their slow progress. They know deep inside that they’re called to a higher purpose. Their butterfly heart tells them this with each small step they take.
They trust that there will be time enough to fly at the speed of light later. For now, their focus is on the next step, however small it may be.
I can read your thoughtful text and appropriate, pithy quotations, Amy-Lynn.I’ll have to wait until I’m near a high-speed signal to see all the images, but how can I be impatient after reading this post? Thank you for the reminder!
Pamela, hopefully you won’t be disappointed.
…my butterfly heart… love it!
Sandy, it’s OUR butterfly hearts 🙂 🙂
you take the coolest pics… standing applause
Thank you wolfrosebud, but I can’t take all the credit: my models are always exceptionally photogenic.
Thank you…it’s good to take a step back (no matter the size of one’s feet) and reassess..
Very true Scott.
“They know deep inside that they’re called to a higher purpose.” Honoring the lessons the caterpillars share with us from the beating of their butterfly hearts.
Kathy, imagine if we all honored one another’s higher purposes… that’s something that would set all of our butterfly hearts aflutter.
What a lovely metaphor.
Ahhhh Amy-Lynn, may your future butterfly wings bring you joy, during slower, caterpillar days.
Sybil, the caterpillars are thankful to you for saving so many of their lives along the trails. You probably have a very special place in their butterfly hearts for the way you pick them up and place them on the wayside to avoid being trodden upon.
We have a long rectangular rock in are yard that stands straight up and is marked like a ruler. One day we watched with amusement as a caterpillar took the long climb up, only to have to come back down the otherside.
Perhaps if you have a moment you could swing my blog and see if you know the flower in top photo of this post: http://gracefulsimplicity.com/2011/10/17/plants-at-blomidon/
Thanks
Grace, maybe he was checking his speed 😉
Amy-Lynn, they’re lovely! I really got what you said, especially with all our plans at the moment. I will remember to just keep going and not worry about the pace. Soon I will be able to fly!! Thank you for that xx
Lynne, I can just imagine how many details you are dealing with at this time. It would be so easy to get bogged down. Hang in there. xo
Great analogy! Perhaps we all need to be caterpillars sometimes…
Pepsoid, yes we do. It’s still the only way to become a butterfly 🙂
🙂
Caterpillars have sloooow dialup but aspire to fiber optic cable . . .
Gerry, high speed internet isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, at least in Cow Bay. I hope being a butterfly isn’t just all hype too.
those are some fearsome looking caterpillars!
Wind, imagine if they weren’t so small. Yikes! They’d be fuzzy versions of the sandworms of Dune.
I love that butterfly!
pattisj, its light yellow color makes it seem like it belongs more to the summer than the fall. However, there were several of them flitting about that day. It’s a sulphur, a type of butterfly that’s frequently found in very cold climates.