Lessons for a father - I Want To Remain A Caterpillar

Image Courtesy: Flickr

Caterpillars have been called "eating machines", and eat leaves voraciously. They shed their skins many times before getting to the next stage of their lives. Ultimately after a lot of consumption, one day, they might turn into a beautiful butterfly.

They are very interesting creatures and their lifestyle has much to offer in form of lessons. In some respects, they resemble the student in all of us. The persistent consumption of leaves can easily be a metaphor for our hunger to learn and accumulate knowledge. The metamorphosis into a butterfly can be a depiction of our transformation into leaders after we have shed our skin or adapted to changing needs multiple times.

Here is my problem. A butterfly seems to symbolize an end of the learning period. I am not OK with that.

Image Courtesy: Flickr

No matter what it is that we do, we cannot, and must not, stop learning. Like the caterpillar, our lives should be full of relentless hunger for knowledge and every success, but a step, towards exposing ourselves to new things and challenges...more leaves anyone?

The destination is important, but the journey can be far more interesting and enlightening.

Let us, therefore, become lifelong caterpillars. Let us invest ourselves in the pursuit of knowledge and learning. Let us become good great at our art and never, ever, rest on our laurels. One achieved goal should show us the door to the next one. One improvement in our lives should provide an opportunity to become better at something else.

Yes, I do wish to remain that leaf eating creature that works towards its metamorphosis. Whether it is as a father, a son, a husband or a professional, I want to remain a caterpillar.