Butterfly Transformations

It was 1995. She was 18 and had just graduated from high school. She was thrilled when she received the call that she had gotten the job as a camp counselor for the Boys and Girls Club. She along with a diverse team of college-aged students were charged with taking elementary-aged kids on 3-day overnight camping trips during the week. The majority of the children were African American.

That summer she taught children how to catch butterflies in glass jars and discussed how a caterpillar becomes a butterfly. She witnessed children who had never been in a pool learn how to swim and their joy in playing tag all afternoon. She was naive about skin color differences and her own inner biases. She would learn more about those as she entered the world beyond her small, safe, and white hometown. But for that summer it was ok because she had landed in a bubble where everyone was grateful to be together.

As Rumi says, "Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and right-doing there is a field. I'll meet you there." As the years went on she realized how special the summer of 1995 was. That summer was a glimpse of what was possible, but NOT representative of all that was going on in the world. Racial injustice was real and she contributed to it, firstly by not understanding it.

And fast forward to today. These times are calling for radical change and I am up for the challenge. As I described to the campers long ago the transformation of the caterpillar is long and quiet before the butterfly can be expressed and fully understood. I am cocooning not to hide but rather to deeply listen, examine my own biases, educate myself, and take action within our home and community.

I AM CHANGE. I AM LEARNING. I AM LOVE.

In solidarity,

Jen

Resources for Listening and Learning
Equal Justice Initiative
13th