I am Mama Butterfly; a single mother of a very precocious little caterpillar. I have always been single, probably because I'm so shy that I would rather snuggle back into my cocoon than to spread my wings and fly around for other butterflies to scrutinize. Maybe I'm afraid a hungry bird will prey on me or I'll zoom into a venus fly trap and not be able to get out. Whatever the reason, I'm neither prone to being sociable nor to being spontaneous or adventurous.
Which is why the very existence of my little caterpillar is really quite surprising. A few years ago, I decided I was tired of being alone. I had always planned to be a mom; not dreamed, I had planned on it. So I was approaching my 30s *gasp* and knew that I needed to step up and stop letting life pass me by. I decided to adopt. It was very unlike me to take such a huge, proactive step in my life. Even more unusual because I started the adoption process knowing that I was going to have to, at some point, get on an airplane and fly to a foreign country. Did I mention that I like to stay in my cocoon as much as possible? Oh yeah, this butterfly was pretty freaked out. But I did it. I opened my wings and flew.
Now, about that caterpillar. My caterpillar's name is Mariposa. If you don't get the joke, go google the meaning of mariposa. If you know us personally, then you know that Mariposa is the perfect name for my caterpillar. She's an Ethiopian caterpillar....and a beautiful one. Super expressive face, gorgeous brown eyes, button nose, perfect lips, and I love the shape of her chin. She is also a brilliant caterpillar....amazing memory, quick thinker, eager learner. Did I also mention she is super funny, friendly, sweet, and a general joy to be around? Sort of an infectious personality. She'll definitely "bug" you for attention. (sorry, couldn't resist)
Not everything is perfect in bug world. Mama Butterfly prefers to stay in her safe cocoon while caterpillar Mariposa prefers to go out in the big, adventurous world. Mariposa feels that she is ready to fly and soar but she hasn't yet found her wings and learned how to fly. And sometimes she is too busy trying to discover everything, that she doesn't stay still long enough to learn how to become a butterfly. And sometimes, her caterpillar body gets overwhelmed by the world around her and she stumbles and falls. Quite literally, sometimes.
And so this blog is a new chapter. It's about learning to live with severe ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). It's about figuring out how to navigate a world of SPD (sensory processing disorder). That's hard enough but let's add in the fact that this little caterpillar is truly gifted; brilliant beyond what Mama Butterfly could ever have imagined. Of course, we must not forget the fact that our family was formed by adoption....let's throw in cultural sensitivity, attachment woes, interracial conspicuousness, and the difficulty of being a one-parent household. Try to find a parenting book to cover all that!
Oh, and let's just throw one more glitch in the not-so-smooth running household....Mama Butterfly is gluten-free thanks to Celiac. Even eating has to be complicated in this garden!!
We are learning to turn a crazy caterpillar into a beautiful butterfly. Let the metamorphosis begin!
