Today was magical.
C2 slammed the glass front door after announcing he was leaving for a neighbor’s house, and I slipped a peak through the blinds to make sure he was picking up his bike to speed through the mosquito-ed mist. Like every other day, I prepared to count to thirty and trot along after him, sneaking behind trees like a spy to see where he really went. I trust him. He’s eight. No, really, I trust him.
After 14.3562 seconds of sneaking and peaking, I watched as he literally threw down his bike and sprinted to the white pillar on his front porch. Another 8.415 seconds passed as I watched him frozen in awe and speculation; I waited until he whirled around and screamed my name. I walked outside, and my jaw dropped.
It was a caterpillar. Oh, my friends, it was not just any caterpillar. It was Heimlich.
More specifically, it was an Antheraea polyphemus. And how I wish I had known that then. C2 would have been impressed beyond any natural, human expression of admiration. Instead, we crawled to the live slinky, and he whispered “It’s so cool,” and I reverently responded, It’s the most crazy awesome thing I’ve ever seen.
Then he grabbed it. I swatted his arm because, obviously, it's poisonous, and he could have died; and he chunked it back against the pillar. And we continued to sit, amazed as it slinked along and shedded a delicate trail of a silk-like substance.
Now, I realize, dear readers, that you probably see these lime-green-jello-monsters every single day, so no big deal. But we were captivated, fascinated to the point of giddiness. C2 squinted at me and sighed, “I just love watching nature.”
He walked inside and came back out and walked inside – not the china! – and came back out – seriously, will you ever eat out of that again knowing what Heimlich probably did in there? - and walked inside and came back out with a container he then filled with carefully picked leaves and acorns and twigs. He hurriedly placed the grass and excitedly set the caterpillar in his new home. My kiddo practically skipped and sang as he dropped off the box in the house and biked away to inform his friends.
It was an enchanting afternoon.
When his mom set her purse down and discovered the newest family member scooting down her kitchen counter, I could have sworn I heard C2's prize happily crying out, “But I AM flying! And from way up here you all look like little ants! Auf Wiedersehen!"
“What a wildly wonderful world, God!
You made it all, with Wisdom at your side,
made earth overflow with your wonderful creations.
“… All the creatures look expectantly to you
to give them their meals on time.
You come, and they gather around;
you open your hand and they eat from it.
If you turned your back, they'd die in a minute—
Take back your Spirit and they die,
revert to original mud;
Send out your Spirit and they spring to life—
the whole countryside in bloom and blossom.
“The glory of God—let it last forever!
Let God enjoy his creation!
“...Oh, let me sing to God all my life long,
sing hymns to my God as long as I live!
Oh, let my song please him; I'm so pleased to be singing to God...
O my soul, bless God!”
- Psalm 104:24-30
C2 slammed the glass front door after announcing he was leaving for a neighbor’s house, and I slipped a peak through the blinds to make sure he was picking up his bike to speed through the mosquito-ed mist. Like every other day, I prepared to count to thirty and trot along after him, sneaking behind trees like a spy to see where he really went. I trust him. He’s eight. No, really, I trust him.
After 14.3562 seconds of sneaking and peaking, I watched as he literally threw down his bike and sprinted to the white pillar on his front porch. Another 8.415 seconds passed as I watched him frozen in awe and speculation; I waited until he whirled around and screamed my name. I walked outside, and my jaw dropped.
It was a caterpillar. Oh, my friends, it was not just any caterpillar. It was Heimlich.
More specifically, it was an Antheraea polyphemus. And how I wish I had known that then. C2 would have been impressed beyond any natural, human expression of admiration. Instead, we crawled to the live slinky, and he whispered “It’s so cool,” and I reverently responded, It’s the most crazy awesome thing I’ve ever seen.
Then he grabbed it. I swatted his arm because, obviously, it's poisonous, and he could have died; and he chunked it back against the pillar. And we continued to sit, amazed as it slinked along and shedded a delicate trail of a silk-like substance.
Now, I realize, dear readers, that you probably see these lime-green-jello-monsters every single day, so no big deal. But we were captivated, fascinated to the point of giddiness. C2 squinted at me and sighed, “I just love watching nature.”
He walked inside and came back out and walked inside – not the china! – and came back out – seriously, will you ever eat out of that again knowing what Heimlich probably did in there? - and walked inside and came back out with a container he then filled with carefully picked leaves and acorns and twigs. He hurriedly placed the grass and excitedly set the caterpillar in his new home. My kiddo practically skipped and sang as he dropped off the box in the house and biked away to inform his friends.
It was an enchanting afternoon.
When his mom set her purse down and discovered the newest family member scooting down her kitchen counter, I could have sworn I heard C2's prize happily crying out, “But I AM flying! And from way up here you all look like little ants! Auf Wiedersehen!"
“What a wildly wonderful world, God!
You made it all, with Wisdom at your side,
made earth overflow with your wonderful creations.
“… All the creatures look expectantly to you
to give them their meals on time.
You come, and they gather around;
you open your hand and they eat from it.
If you turned your back, they'd die in a minute—
Take back your Spirit and they die,
revert to original mud;
Send out your Spirit and they spring to life—
the whole countryside in bloom and blossom.
“The glory of God—let it last forever!
Let God enjoy his creation!
“...Oh, let me sing to God all my life long,
sing hymns to my God as long as I live!
Oh, let my song please him; I'm so pleased to be singing to God...
O my soul, bless God!”
- Psalm 104:24-30
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