Home Spirituality Life on Purpose Life lesson from the terrarium: Transformation is in our DNA

Life lesson from the terrarium: Transformation is in our DNA

I learned something new last week that I found absolutely fascinating.

I learned new information about the transformation of caterpillars into butterflies. Being a homeschooling mom, we did our share of projects. There was always an art project or a science experiment in various stages of development, hanging out on the counters or in the corner of a room. Our favorite science project was watching caterpillars turn into butterflies. I ordered the caterpillars and placed them in a tent in the corner of the room. We watched with amazement as the caterpillars ate all their food, spun the cocoon and began the transformation into butterflies. We read and observed the stages of metamorphosis and documented it in words and pictures. We counted down the day till the butterflies could be released into nature. It was especially beautiful to see Johannaʼs delight as the butterflies seem to hang out with her a little before they flew off towards the flowers.

However, in all those years, I somehow missed any description of what scientists refer to as imaginal cells. Imaginal cells are cells which lie dormant within the caterpillars until the crysalis stage of metamorphosis. These cells literally bear the code or image of the butterfly. They are completely different than the caterpillar cells. In fact, while the transformation is occurring, the caterpillarʼs immune system tries to attack these cells because they seem foreign. Eventually, the imaginal cells bond together and become organized enough to form into the butterfly. I was blown away by this new information about the life cycle of the butterfly.

My brain thinks in poetic images and metaphors. My kids roll their eyes when I make these deep comparisons about life and faith. I believe that all around us God speaks to us in nature and in each other. Stories of transformation exist to instruct and encourage us if only we are willing to take note and learn. I think everyone has heard or used the image of the transformation of the caterpillar to a butterfly. Learning about imaginal cells takes that to a new level for me.

The word imaginal comes from the root word image and it reminds us to imagine. An image is a picture; not just outside of us, but within us. We were created in the image of God. Therefore, part of our plan and purpose is to reveal attributes of God to the world. Think about it like this; within each one of us there is an inherent purpose or story that we are “called” to live out. Biologically, it may be written into our DNA. Maybe there are messages in our DNA which predispose us to be an exceptional athlete or writer or mathematician. Maybe we are like the caterpillar and our DNA doesnʼt match up with the image within us calling us to a greater purpose.

Over the years, I have had to explore the genetics of our family history a little more closely than the average person. Although my youngest daughter was born with malformations in her brain which suggested they were genetic abnormalities, she didnʼt test positive for any mutations until she was six years old. It took scientists years before they discovered the sequences and code that revealed CCM3 and then they were able to find it in my daughterʼs DNA. Last year, my eldest daughter developed cavernous angiomas in her brain as well. Although she was asymptomatic, geneticists tested her and me for the gene again. We were both negative for the mutation. Now, my second eldest daughter has started having seizures. As far as we know, she does not have cavernous angiomas or carry this mutation.

It would appear that the MS lesions in my brain are unrelated to the my girlsʼ neurological conditions. I find it hard to believe that each of us has four different neurological processes and they arenʼt somehow connected. I think that scientists just havenʼt yet found the genetic language that ties us all together.

Most people get freaked out when they hear about whatʼs happening in the gene pool for the women in our family. While I admit it is more than a little unnerving, I firmly believe that my girls and I are gifted way beyond the genetics. We each possess a profound creativity, intuition and a positive attitude that defies these odd diagnoses. We are each women who have a deep sense of purpose. That image of ourselves, like the imaginal cells of the caterpillar, will not be deterred by genetics or circumstances. For me, it is a daily decision to keep my sense of purpose before me. While the battle has gotten a little more intense, so has my purpose become clearer. In this chaos, Iʼm training to become a certified coach with a goal of reaching out to family caregivers like myself who sometimes lose their sense of purpose while caring for loved ones. I am also making progress on writing my book. I have the chapters outlined and the content ready to expand!

Learning about the imaginal cells in caterpillars has inspired me to consider the image of God imprinted within every human person. While maybe our genetics and/or our circumstances may not measure up to the life we have “imagined” we have only to know that this purpose comes from God and transformation will happen if we believe. Just as the caterpillars immune system fights the transformative nature of the imaginal cells, so do we undergo a fierce battle to become the persons we were created to be. No matter whether we are genetically gifted or challenged, we were all created in the image of God. Each one of us has a beautiful purpose to accomplish and gifts in keeping with that purpose. When that image of God within us wins out, beautiful things happen.

This spring, when it finally comes, we are going to grow butterflies again. This time, I will pay close attention to the death of the caterpillar and the transformative process of those imaginal cells. I will teach Johanna about imaginal cells and help her to image the purpose that lies within her, despite the genetics of disease. While there may be a struggle between where we are now and the image of purpose in our lives, if we believe, metamorphosis happens.

SHARE
Eileen Benthal
Eileen is a writer, speaker and wellness coach with a bachelor’s degree in theology from Franciscan University. She and her husband Steve live in Jamesport and have four young adult children. Email Eileen