Some Day You'll Know Little Caterpillar

When I was a child an all-time favourite read of mine was 'The Dream Tree' by Stephen Cosgrove.  As a child of the '80's' this was just an enjoyable book.  Cosgrove wrote a series of these books.  I owned a few of them and today, 'The Dream Tree' can be purchased for up to $80 as they no longer print it.

I have no idea if I still have my copy of 'The Dream Tree' in storage at my mother's house.  I do however have a copy sitting right next to me at present which I found in an opportunity shop some months ago and could not walk out without spending a lazy dollar.

Cosgrove's books all have a lovely moral to them.  I do not remember what his other books where about, however 'The Dream Tree' must have had some kind of impact on me at a young age.  I have quoted it on a number of occasions and what is more interesting, is that the older I get, the more the story resonates with me. 

I do this kind of thing all the time.  I get amazed at the micro and macro of creation. 
This is for an other blog entirely

Patti caterpillar is curious about what life is like as a beautiful butterfly.  She had asked many butterflies to tell her exactly what it was like to be a butterfly.  Not one could tell her.

Patti happened upon a cocoon one day and raced home to ask her mother all about it.  Finding out that she would one day be a beautiful butterfly - it being part of her destiny - she asked her mother "how come butterflies don't fly back and tell us what it's like?"

the crooked antennae indicative
 of a change.  Sooo cute

Patti's mother's response is "someday you'll know Patti. Someday you'll know."

The time comes for Patti to build a cocoon.  I love the illustrations in the book.  You can tell Patti feels different.  There is a change in her. 

Then after many days of resting, she emerges from the cocoon feeling different all over.  She knew she was now a butterfly.

I have jokingly used the phrase "someday you'll know little caterpillar" to my nieces when they were younger, and confused about why they were not able to do certain things until they were older.  This "some day you'll know little caterpillar" phrase is now common within my family as we are all on our varying paths and stages of life's journey. 

I remember well the feeling of wanting to grow up quickly and do those things that grown ups did.  Like, stay up late and watch Beverley Hills 90210. 

Now I meet young women, single ones who can't wait to find their prince charming and have children.  I know newly married women who just want to hurry up and start their family.  All are very noble and lovely things, in fact they are part of God's plan for His children, but I am learning the importance of finding joy in the journey and not trying to race to the next stage of life. 

Some women close to me have asked "what is it like to have a baby?  How does it feel?  Were you scared of labour?"  My response, "someday you'll know little caterpillar, someday you'll know". 

When I look at a new mother, struggling with the adjustments of having someone so dependant, carry with them 'everything' in this specifically organised diaper bag, my inner voice says "someday you'll know little caterpillar".  I don't do this with attitude of 'I'm sooo much more experienced than YOU'.  I just reflect on my own growth with a sense of gratitude, knowing that the same will be true of others who are experiencing the similar struggles that I once faced.  These challenging life changes and adjustments will pale into insignificance compared to later challenges.  We actually get out the door quicker with four children these days than we did when we just had our one and only.

So when senior women say to me "enjoy those toddler years with your children because they vanish all too quickly", I wonder if they really remember how challenging it was.  Have they forgotten the cracked nipples, the sleepless nights, the tantrums, teething and the potty training?  And then I think, all THAT must pale into insignificance when these mothers are staying up late waiting for their teenage children to come home from an outing with friends, wave goodbye to their sons as they send them off for two years on a mission to some foreign land or send their children interstate for school (just to name a few). 

When I get frustrated at having to repeat myself over and over to my aging mother because she has either forgotten a conversation we had earlier or she pretended she heard because she didn't want me to have to repeat it for the fourth time, there is a whisper in her own frustrated heart "Someday you'll know little caterpillar'.  And that scares me because there are some things I actually don't want to know.  Some things I don't want to experience. 

Did Patti caterpillar, after becoming a butterfly race back to tell the other caterpillars what it was lie to be a butterfly?  Nope.  She knew what she felt was completely indescribable and that it would feel different for each little fuzzy caterpillar when it was their time to emerge from that cocoon.  And so it is with us.  Sometimes ALL we can say is "some day you'll know little caterpillar, some day you'll know".