Butterfly Moment in the Yukon

In the big city of Edmonton, we answered the ‘call of the wild’ and went to the Yukon. Less noise, less bustle, more solitude, and more of nature’s vastness. We lived there for five years.

The pivotal moment for leaving the Yukon happened to us as Bill and I sat high on the banks of the Pelly River not far from Faro, deciding whether to go or stay. At that moment a yellow butterfly flitted up to us and hovered around us.

We had just read a book called Hope for the Flowers by Trina Paulus. It is an inspiring allegory about the meaning of life as told through the lives of two caterpillars. Yellow and Stripe. They each try many caterpillar ways of finding this meaning. Eventually, Yellow found and climbed a caterpillar pillar, believing she was finally going to get there. However, when she reached the top, she discovered – nothing. It was then that she realized that her destiny as a caterpillar was to transform into a butterfly and fly. She found a branch, wove herself into a cocoon, and emerged as a beautiful yellow butterfly.

How did this fulfill the meaning of life for her? Freedom. She had never experienced it. Purpose. As a butterfly, she helped flowers and fruit reproduce. Relationship. She needed the flowers to feed her. The flowers needed her to pollinate them.

The book ends with Butterfly Yellow flitting over to Caterpillar Stripe to let him in the secret of his destiny.

Being visited by that yellow butterfly at that precious moment clinched it for us. We we meant to go. Freedom. Purpose. Relationship. Down the road of our life, these vague concepts gradually became crystal clear. They transformed into sharp edges and definite shapes and deep meaning.

Are you a caterpillar or a butterfly? What do you see as your destiny?