The Caterpillar and the Polliwog

Ethan is obsessive, to say the least. Once he falls in love with something, he wants to see it/play it/hear it/watch it over & over & over again. Lately, he has been obsessed with one of my old Scholastic DVDs. This dvd is a collection of a bunch of storybooks that have been animated for video. This particular video that I have heard him watch over & over again includes the story, The Caterpillar and the Polliwog by Jack Kent. It's a story "about a caterpillar who feels very special because she knows that one day she will become a beautiful butterfly. The caterpillar is so proud of this that she tells all of her animal friends about her special capability."

This story got me thinking about how living with autism is similar to this story. It wasn't that long ago that our house was filled with a couple of caterpillars. Corey, Ethan & I were very happy caterpillars...just walking through life...enjoying our view from the ground. Our feet were solidly planted on the earth, we were sheltered from the heat by the plants & protected from predators by the thick grass. Life was simple, certain, and secure. Then one day things changed. Metamorphosis happened....or is happening. In our tiny cocoon of autism, we often feel all alone in the world, awkward in our transitioning body, scared of our new environment, and unsure of what is going to happen next.

BUT! I must remember that, just like the caterpillar in our story, we too will soon emerge as beautiful butterflies. Our perspective on life will change. We will have the advantage of remembering the old life yet learning from our new point of view. We will have a new body....one that can perch on a blade of grass OR fly above meadows. We will regain our social scene...one filled with new friends that we would have never met as caterpillars. We can dance in the rain instead of swimming in it's puddles. And although we won't be as safe & secure as we were before under the shelter of the world's greenery, we will be able to fly around the world! And that is pretty cool!!!!!

So, my dear friends, please tell anyone you can about Ethan & his story. Because, just like the caterpillar, we too are so proud of him and his special capability.