A few months ago my kids were out playing in the yard, while I was calmly doing the dishes, lost in Garrison Keillor's “Writer's Almanac” on the radio. Evie suddenly came bursting into the house. “Mommy! Mommy! You gotta come QUICK!!!” Of course, my heart leapt out of my body as I envisioned Addie lying on the ground with two broken legs or a cracked head or some such. I ran out the door like lightening to see how serious our hospital visit would be.

I saw Addie bent down to the lower stair of our deck, saying “awwwwww….she's so CUTE!”.

Heart still somewhere in my esophageal tube, I swallowed hard and said, “WHAT is so cute? What did you call me out here for?”

“A CATERPILLAR mom! Isn't it the cutest little fuzziest tickliest thing you've ever seen?”

“WHAT? A caterpillar?...THAT'S what all the panic was about???...Evie, don't scare mommy like that honey!...well, yes, I guess she is very cute. Very cute indeed.”

“Can we keep her?”

“Well, no honey, we can't keep her. She needs to become a butterfly.”

Evie stood with her head tilted to one side and said “tsk, yeah Addie. Seriously. She's gotta be a butterfly; just like the hungry little caterpillar.”

I went back into the house to finish the dishes, still a bit wobbly-legged. And I stood at the window, watching, as my girls stood there with that caterpillar, passing her (him?) back and forth to one another for a good while, laughing and giggling and making up things it might be thinking/saying (ahhhhhh! Giants! I must escape!!!....you know what would be good right now? A leaf….I want my mommy!!...etc.)

Amazing how that little creature could hold the attention of my two kids for so long in this A.D.D. society. I was so proud, and a little envious, too, of the wonder they have; the ability so see something grand about God's creation in the tiniest place. I am amazed, humbled, and educated - every day - by the wonder these little girls are.

My own little caterpillars are going to leave the cocoon one of these days and become butterflies. Lord, please, please help me guide them toward the Dangerous Wonder they will become.