Butterflies and Persons

Julia: Hey dad, what's this?

Dad: That's a cocoon, sweetheart.

Julia: A cocoon? What's that?

Dad: A cocoon is where caterpillar turns into a butterfly.

Julia: A butterfly? Oohhh I want to see the butterfly!

Dad: Well, you're going to have to wait for that, sweetie.

Julia: Awww. But why can't we just take a peak now? Please?

Dad: Because you're going to hurt it. If you take it out, you'll kill it, and the caterpillar will never grow up into a big beautiful butterfly.

Julia: I don't want to kill it.

Dad: Good. Now leave it alone.

Julia: Can I take a picture of it?

Dad: Sure thing.

*Click*

Julia: Hey dad! Look! The flash was able to see through the cocoon!

Dad: Wow sweetie, that's neat! That kinda like how baby Rachel is in mommy's tummy, isn't it?

Julia: Oh, you mean that triangle picture with no color?

Dad: Yes, that's called an ultrasound, dear.

Julia: Do the pictures hurt baby Rachel?

Dad: No, they don't.

Julia: Is baby Rachel a caterpillar or a butterfly?

Dad: Well, both, really.

Julia: Huh?

Dad: See, imagine the caterpillar is like you.

Julia: Ewww.

Dad: Okay, just pretend. If you're a caterpillar now, what will you be when you're all grown up?

Julia: A butterfly! I'm going to have purple wings and they'll say "Princess of Love and Unicorns."

Dad: Haha, very well then. But, are you the same person now as you will be when you grow up?

Julia: Hmm...no?

Dad: And why not?

Julia: Because I'll be bigger.

Dad: You're bigger today than you were last year.

Julia: But I'm still Julia.

Dad: That's right, you're still Julia, no matter how big or how small you are. And while the caterpillar may change its size and shape when it turns into a butterfly, they're still the same organism. And that's why baby Rachel is like both, because no matter the shape or size, it's still the same animal, you're still the same Julia. Rachel will always be a human person, no matter what point of her life.

Julia: So baby Rachel is the same Rachel when she comes out of Mommy?

Dad: Except for some small changes in development, yeah, its the same Rachel from the moment of conception. You and Rachel are caterpillars now, but one day, you'll both be beautiful butterflies, and hopefully you won't fly away too soon.


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