Small creatures can teach mighty lessons. 

In their annual migration, monarch butterflies coming from Mexico wend their way up through the United States and back in a journey that takes four generations to complete—two going north and two returning south. Like thousands of other enthusiasts, our family registered our garden with its requisite host and nectar plants as an official “Monarch Waystation” to support this extraordinary endeavor. Here, eggs can be laid for the next generation to continue the journey.

A way station is an intermediate stopping point, not the final destination. When the first caterpillars appeared in our garden, feasting on our milkweed, we knew each would soon transition to a hard, opaque chrysalis and then emerge as a butterfly—from wingless to winged and on their way in a few short weeks. In the final hours before the butterfly appears, the chrysalis becomes translucent, and you can see the incredible change that has been going on. What a transformation to witness!