Recently, Nature on PBS released some breathtaking footage of Monarch Butterflies awakening from their winter rest in a forest deep in Mexico. Mysteriously, millions of them show up in this forest every fall to escape the harsh winters of their northern habitat. They huddle together in this Mexican forest for warmth and rest. Millions of them.
The footage was taken by a drone cleverly disguised as a hummingbird. It was designed in such a way to not disturb or put at risk any of the butterflies it came near. And, since Monarch Butterflies and hummingbird are friends in nature, this “hummingbird” is not seen as a threat by the awakening Monarchs. In a three-minute video you’ll see a butterfly actual land on and take flight from the wing of the “spy.”
There’s something about aging that creates a fascination in many of us about hummingbirds and butterflies. I regularly fill my hummingbird feeders just to get a glimpse occasionally as one stops in for a quick snack. I plant bushes like Lantana and Buddleia that attract butterflies. But, seeing the Nature footage of this incredible community of butterflies coming to life and beginning their northern migration was unlike anything I have seen.
It reminds me a little of the “coming to life” that I see going on in my community. Most of us have been “sheltering in place” for several weeks now. Not unlike the butterflies in the video, we have found safety in a season of sheltering. But various communities and states are beginning to announce relaxation of quarantine-like restrictions. My hairstylist-daughter starts work again today with a schedule that makes you tired just to look at. Most of us are ready to migrate back to some kind of normalcy.
These past several weeks have taught me how valuable community is. Yes, I have been…
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