Emerging

An unsuspecting luna moth caterpillar made its slow and deliberate way across our front yard. 

The black suitcase he scaled happened to be one of the left-behind items in the yard sale we 

attempt every five years or so, and his bright green color was eye-grabbing.

 A glass vase topped with some leftover door screen made the perfect spontaneous terrarium.

Wrapping itself in maple leaves and sticky silk, it constructed a cocoon by 

nightfall the same day, and the watching and waiting began. In all honesty, 

I gave up seeing the miracle of metamorphosis; sure that my

fumbling attempt to capture  transformation  in a glass vase would fail.

But about two weeks later ...

The day it emerged, we celebrated like children—the ones we truly are on the inside— and 

made an event of setting it free.

The left-behind chrysalis contained the dried, discolored bits of the caterpillar's body. 

The moth emerged with everything it needed for success in its glorious new life.

And someday ... so shall we.