Celebrations

I am headed up to a meeting of the Indigenous Environmental Network at Ft. Berthold, North Dakota.  During this gathering of mostly Indigenous Peoples (of which I am not), we have been asked to bring Water from our homelands for a Water Ceremony.  I headed to the Rain Barrel and turned the spigot to fill a little Jar with the precious Rain that came after a dry hot time.  I looked at it very carefully and lovingly as the Water poured into the Jar. 

When the jar was full and I had capped the lid, I checked the Swamp Milkweed which is near the Rain Barrel.  We have hardly seen any Monarch Butterflies this year.  The Swamp Milkweed is a host plant.  Up until today, I had not seen any Eggs or holes indicating that there might be a Caterpillar there.  To my delight, I found a small hole.  I turned the leaf over and right before my eyes, there was a tiny little Caterpillar.  Sure enough, that Caterpillar had the beginnings of tiny little stripes of the Monarch. 

So I stood right there before 2 elements of celebration.  The Rain Barrel was full after the Rains yesterday.  And a Mama Monarch had deposited an Egg which had become a Caterpillar on the Swamp Milkweed.  Both came after a very dry time.  I feel a celebration in my deepest core.