At the ripe age of 99, Wilmer Hoekstra’s eyes still light up when she talks about monarch butterflies.
Her fascination with these delicate creatures began when she was just a young girl, a self-proclaimed “bug kid” who would catch little critters and keep them in matchboxes.
Over the years, her love for these winged wonders only grew, leading her to raise them right from their inception as tiny eggs.
Wilmer’s journey with butterflies took a more structured turn when she relocated to Iowa.
Here, she nurtured them right from their initial stages, witnessing the magical transformation from a tiny egg to a vibrant butterfly ready to spread its wings and take flight.
For Wilmer, this metamorphosis is not just a natural process but a beautiful story, a cycle of life that mirrors our own existence.
As an educator, Wilmer saw the potential in these creatures to impart life lessons.
The monarch butterfly, with its intricate life cycle, became a tool for her to teach.
She believed that the journey of a butterfly, from its birth to its eventual flight, holds profound lessons about sacrifice.
The adult butterflies lay their eggs and, in a span of just two months, meet their end. Yet, their legacy continues as their caterpillars grow, preparing for their own journeys.
These young butterflies have a remarkable journey ahead of them.
They travel all the way to Mexico to escape the winter chill, only to return to Texas by May or June.
This migration, a testament to their resilience and determination, starts the life cycle anew. It’s a story of rebirth, of continuity, and of the undying spirit of life.
But there’s more to this tale than just the biological aspects.
Wilmer emphasizes the lessons of kindness that these creatures teach us.
She poses a thought-provoking question: “Why would you destroy something so beautiful just because it’s ugly at a point in its life?”
This sentiment, a reflection on the transient nature of beauty and the value of life, resonates deeply.
To ensure that these lessons weren’t lost on the younger generation, Wilmer penned down her thoughts, experiences, and the wisdom she gleaned from these butterflies in a book.
Mona and Me
This book is a labor of love and primarily intended for her grandchildren, ensuring that the tales and teachings of the monarchs would be passed down.
A touching moment in Wilmer’s journey with the butterflies was when she, surrounded by her loving family, released her latest batch of monarchs into the wild.
As they took flight, she expressed a heartfelt wish to witness this spectacle again the following year.
She also acknowledged the uncertainty of life, likening her journey to that of the butterflies.
With a twinkle in her eye and a smile on her lips, she mused about the future, both for the butterflies and herself.
“I know where they’re going, and I know where I’m going,” she said, hinting at the cycle of life and the inevitability of the end.
Yet, her words weren’t tinged with sadness but with hope and a promise of reunion.
See Wilmer releasing some of the butterflies she’s raised in the video below!
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