Butterflies

I remembered this story yesterday.

When I was 6, and my brother was 4 or 5, my mom got us bug-catching nets. We had a big yard and garden, so there were lots of bugs. We raced to the yard - the gifts were a hit.

My brother went looking for frogs, which was silly.

I caught a butterfly. Then, not knowing what else I was supposed to do, I stepped on it. Crushed after crushing it, remorse told me that was definitely not what I was supposed to do.

I had squished something beautiful and alive, and the damage and death were irreversible.

A painful lesson for a 6-year old, but since then I think that ants, mosquitoes, and roaches are the only living things I have willfully squished. (Yes I am one of those cyclists who stops to move newts, snakes, and turtles out of the road...)