When Sally and her husband returned to their Brooklyn home after a summer vacation, little did they know a beautiful surprise awaited them.
Under their glass dining table, Sally noticed something unusual. She carefully approached to investigate, only to discover something absolutely amazing.
Before the two went on vacation, Sally left a flower bouquet on the table. It turned out that somewhere in between those petals, a caterpillar found refuge.
While they were gone, the caterpillar crawled out of its hiding place and made a cocoon under their dining table.
Sally did her research and found out it was a chrysalis of a monarch butterfly! Naturally, she left the cocoon under her table patiently waiting for the butterfly to emerge.
Every morning Sally and her husband would come and make sure the chrysalis was in its place.
While surfing the internet, Sally learned that once the chrysalis changed its color, it was showtime!
Shortly after, while they were getting ready for bed, Sally noticed that the chrysalis became lighter in color, almost see-through.
Out of excitement, she could barely sleep, and in the morning hours, the Monarch butterfly emerged from its cocoon! As she said in an interview:
“When she came out … I almost cried. I was so nervous that something was going to happen. So when she emerged, I felt a huge wave of relief and I was just like, ‘This is probably one of the most special moments of my life.’”
She named the butterfly Christina and before she released her, Sally made sure to feed her with some flowers and sugar water.
Once the release day came, a huge storm canceled their plans. Sally decided to keep her in the safety of her home for a few more days.
Two days later the weather cleared and Sally knew it was time to release Christina. The couple brought her to Prospect Park in Brooklyn and set her free.
Christina flew high up into the trees, flapping her beautiful wings! As Sally said:
“She was flying so fast, which definitely meant she was ready. It was a really emotional experience. It was really beautiful.”
I’m so grateful that this tiny caterpillar found a safe haven in Sally’s home, where she could transform and emerge from her cocoon!