Butterflies …

Texas Annual Exhibition is where my daughter Divya had a second look at the little wonder – butterflies. She gifted us with a frame of butterflies. I wondered about this lovely creature God gifted to nature.

Lifespan of a butterfly depends on many things from two weeks to 30 days! Butterflies have inhabited our planet for 130 million years. Before a butterfly can flap its wings, it starts out as something completely different and transforms itself through four stages. Caterpillar after hatching from an egg has its first meal – the egg shell itself. Caterpillars molt several times and outgrow their exoskeleton. They lay hundreds of eggs but only a few survive. When a butterfly emerges from a chrysalis its wings are crumpled. It hangs with its wings down and pumps the wings with fluids to straighten them out – wait several hours for wings to harden and dry before flying away. How beautiful are they?

They see ultraviolet colors, invisible to our eyes and can see flowers. They cannot hear, but feel vibration and have a sense of smell. They communicate with each other by color, chemicals and sound. Color patterns signal along with a chemical pheromone to attract opposite sex. Clicking sounds attract ants that in turn protect them. They use support systems and methods for survival. The 12,000 different species of butterflies play a silent part in pollinating the earth’s plant population as part of food chain.

Divya bought our gift from a Peruvian Store. Peru hosts 20% of world population of butterflies. These are farm raised with an idea of conservation and helps local people to earn a living. Butterflies are allowed to live their natural life cycle and allowed to die. These are dissected, preserved for years to please our eyes as well to learn in retrospect.

Lessons learnt:

• Survival is an instinct that we need to practice on a continuous basis.
• With a short life span butterflies does pollination. Will Smith quote – “Life isn’t how many breaths you take, but it’s the moments that take your breath away” – Do what is IMPOSSIBLE.
• Growth is NOT easy. Work for it.
• Help each other – Like butterflies and ants.
• Use the resources God gifted us – to be different.
• Learn till you live – no shelf life for knowledge. As human beings we need to appreciate our sensory capabilities and intellect. We can be butterflies.