Ever since I was a little girl, I have always been fascinated with butterflies. My sister and I used to catch the caterpillars in a jar and place sticks and leaves in it and watch them go through their metamorphic change. Every Saturday, I used to look forward to seeing so many butterflies of different shapes, colours and sizes grace our backyard. I use to run and try to catch them or sometimes dance with them. However, as time went on the caterpillars started to decline and so too did the butterflies. Bit by bit we had fewer visitors till eventually not many at all. I always complained to my mother that I missed having the butterflies around and kept wondering why they weren’t there anymore. 

It was then one bright Saturday morning my mother called me and told me to look outside. Sure, enough when I got there, seas of butterflies fluttered around. I happily exclaimed, “yes, the butterflies are back”. Just seeing them gave me so much joy. 

I excitedly asked my father, “Look, do you see that the butterflies are back?” He nonchalantly turned to me and said “yes, I know because they have been feeding on the branches of callaloo I recently planted.” 

It was then it dawned on me that the butterflies had left, because the caterpillars didn’t have what they needed anymore to grow and thrive. As a child we had an abundant of fruit and flower trees in our yard. However, as time went on, some died while others had to be removed for various reasons. I didn’t know why I didn’t see it sooner. With less vegetation the caterpillars didn't have what they needed to begin their metamorphic transformation into butterflies, and as such migrated from our yard to somewhere else. 

Caterpillars are not meant to stay caterpillars. Caterpillars are made to undergo a molecular and structural change. There is no species of caterpillars that are meant to stay in the larva (first) stage forever. Although rare, there are circumstances where the insect does not complete its metamorphosis. One such circumstance is a lack of food. If enough food is not received a caterpillar will not complete its transformation into a butterfly. Irregular temperatures can also affect a caterpillar’s transformation. If it is too warm it can disrupt the caterpillars’ circadian rhythms, resulting in the disruption of the feeding process and preventing them from growing.

This realisation got me thinking. . .

Are we in environments that are hindering our growth and transformation whether physically, spiritually, financially or mentally? Do you we need to migrate from where we are to seek the kind of nourishment that will enable our needed change? 

In asking these questions, I was reminded of the quote, “if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid”. Many times, when we are feeling frustrated and defeated because we have not yet accomplished much. Or when we wonder to ourself, “why am I not making any progress?” Could it be that we are just not in the right environment? 
While you ponder on these things, it is my hope and prayer that you will find the right environment needed for your optimal growth and transformation.

“If nothing ever changed, there would be no such things as butterflies”. 
- Wendy Mass