The Missing Caterpillar

A Story of Amazement

On a summer day in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic social distancing, mask wearing and sheltering-in-place, this story was created from the imagination of April’s seven-year-old grandson.

Through this story, three children witnessed the natural life cycle and survival of a caterpillar that adapted to a strange and new environment.

Where can Oliver be?

I went to my bedroom to get Oliver,

but to my astonishment he was not in the bug cage.

I darted back to the dining room
where everyone was waiting.

I was upset and shouted,

“Oliver is gone!”

An Inner Exploration to Find

Nature

Look at nature through the curious eyes of a child

Respect nature and it’s course of life on earth

Be in awe of nature's existence on earth

Take time to be in the present and witness the wonder of nature by going on hikes

Change

We all change with time. Our cells are constantly reproducing or dying

Change is inevitable

Witnessing the life cycle of a butterfly is truly a wonderous gift for children

We can all learn from this miraculous transformation

Collaboration

We can accomplish so much when we work together and make it a group effort

Make teamwork fun and exploratory

Organize a group of friends to do something for others

Volunteer at your favorite charity organization

Inspiring poet and author.

Writing this story was a fun and inspiring experience. It was the perfect project for me because it has motivated me to write more children’s stories. I’ll never run out of stories to write because my grandchildren are an endless source of creative ideas.