October 4th 2011
Luis reached down and gently picked up the quivering Monarch. The early morning air was crisp as our UrbanTrekkers gathered at the ocean’s edge for the October morning sunrise. As Luis picked up the gentle and resilient butterfly, I was afraid it might be injured; Monarchs usually wait for the sun’s warmth before they venture out for their daily journey migrating to the Trans Volcanic Mountains outside Mexico City. Later in the day, though, Goldenrods at the shore line will see hundreds of these passing travelers.
I watched as he held the little creature in his cupped hands and exhaled warm air onto the butterfly’s visibly shaking wings. Luis told us he wanted to save the butterfly and bring it home to Camden to give to Grandmother. I didn’t say anything, for I thought that this little creature was certainly in peril. The Monarch clung to Luis’s shirt, absorbing his body warmth and gaining strength as the sun rose above the ocean horizon.
I realized that this little guy just might be ready to travel. I had to tell Luis that taking this butterfly home to Camden was the wrong direction for the Monarch to go: he needed to go South and we were heading North. I explained that God had a plan for this creature, a plan that didn’t line up with the plan Luis had envisioned. I shared how often that is the case in our lives and the plans we make. Luis gave me a look of reluctant understanding as he again cupped the Monarch, raised his hands upwards and released our beautiful little friend to continue his miraculous journey to the winter sanctuaries in Michoacán.