monarchs in san clemente
Release and Tend Your Garden Mindfully

Butterflies have a lot to teach us about change. My piano teacher used to tell me that butterflies were a sign of hope.

Metamorphosis is no mild or gentle thing. Those catepillars liquify into a goopy mess before they are recontructed into a butterfly.

We joined the Panhe celebration a couple weeks ago. There was a butterfly tent at the festival which thoroughly captured the girls’ attention. They couldn’t get enough of that butterfly tent. At the end of the day the kids were called to release the butterflies.

They gathered together and let their butterflies go. Letting go of her butterfly was a painful experience for Kate. Kate cried. She had named hers “Pumpkin” and did not want to leave her butterfly behind. She went to bed crying over Pumpkin, she woke up crying over Pumpkin. She still talks about Pumpkin.

Sometimes change means letting go of what’s in our hand. Letting go of what we can see and feel to mindfully plant seeds of a greater good.

milkweed seeds

Yesterday we received a vial of milkweed seeds from our friend. We are going to tend to our garden and know that Pumpkin will come back to visit and bring lots of friends.

Our time with our butterfly came to an end
We had to let go
Now we’re planting our milkweed seeds
Knowing more will come