The Monarch

P and I found a monarch butterfly yesterday while at Noni and Popi's house and it had a broken wing. We were both terribly upset that the little guy could not fly. My animal rescue instincts kicked in and we went to work.

I have absolutely never tried to repair a broken wing on an insect before but it was so beautiful and it really was horrible to see the little creature flapping its wings only to fall down in mid-flight (ooooooo - reminds me of the poem I referenced the other day). Anyway, I figured I could not do any more damage so I inspected the working wing and tried to see what was wrong with the other.

In the meantime, my parent's neighbor was pulling out the her driveway and saw me leaning over her sidewalk. When I told her what P and I were doing (okay I was doing it but he really was into helping and empathy needs to be taught - RIGHT?) she gave me a look that reminded me of when I was a little girl and my sister and I used to bring EVERYTHING home to my mom. Birds with broken wings, lost dogs, ducklings half eaten by a snapping turtle, a bird that was half dead in the middle of the road...our backyard turned into a graveyard for those little creatures that didn't make it. Anyway, before Mrs. White pulled away, she had some last minute advice of sorts, she said, 'Jenny, you can't repair that one.'

WELL, with all due respect...SHE WAS WRONG. Two seconds after she pulled away, I saw that the broken wing needed to be pulled forward over the other half of the wing. I ever so carefully pulled the wing forward and touched it into place.

When I opened my hand, the monarch butterfly flew into the air, did a little spin and took off down the street. P cheered with delight and you are damn right that I did too!! We watched it go all the way down the middle of the street and then it came back towards us as if saying thank you (I know a butterfly is not capable of that...no worries this 3rd pregnancy hasn't completely sapped my brain). Anyway, it turned and went back down the street and flew out of sight! If only I had my video camera.....

P was so excited to get back in the house and tell R and A about how mommy and P helped a butterfly fly.....