The Fourth Stage: The Adult

Finally, when the caterpillar has done all of its forming and changing inside the pupa, if you are lucky, you will get to see an adult butterfly emerge.  When the butterfly first emerges from the chrysalis, both of the wings are going to be soft and folded against its body. This is because the butterfly had to fit all its new parts inside of the pupa.

As soon as the butterfly has rested after coming out of the chrysalis, it will pump blood into the wings in order to get them working and flapping – then they get to fly.  Usually within a three or four-hour period, the butterfly will master flying and will search for a mate in order to reproduce.  

When in the fourth and final stage of their lives, adult butterflies are constantly on the look out to reproduce and when a female lays their eggs on some leaves, the butterfly life cycle will start all over.

Much like life when you first step into the adult world, it seems all fresh and new. Like a beautiful new beginning. For some it starts out normally, they go through their childhood, enter into school, head through their teen years, onto careers and families. For others they face harder situations and have to struggle to finally make it. Either way, they are set on a path to something new.

For myself it was a difficult one. My adulthood started in my teenage years. I had to help my struggling family out, dealt with dangerous situations, caused by myself and others. Had a very hard early life in the weird reality of how normal and great my family really was. But had I not gone through things (been abused, used and taken for granted, etc...) I would not have been able to raise three wonderful, amazing boys on my own. Thanks to my amazing family to keep me sane, I made it through.