Male Luna Moth

I was lucky enough to enjoy the beauty of this luna moth this morning.

It overnighted on our side porch and gave me a smile

to start my day.

For that, I am thankful.

After reading about the luna moth life cycle,

I am even more grateful because once in the adult stage, 

a luna moth only lives for approximately a week before dying.

Even though luna moths are common, that is why it is rare to see one.

The adults do not have any mouth parts,

and therefore live off fat stores it created while in the caterpillar stage.

The sole purpose of the adult luna moth is to mate

and once that has occurred, there is no reason for it to be here anymore.

This little tidbit started me thinking...

are humans any different from other animals

in our purpose here on earth?

Are we here for any other reason than to just procreate,

raise our young and then die?

I hope so, but then I think it is a bit egocentric

to think the human race is any different that the rest

of the millions of species that roam this land.

I don't know.

I prefer to think of our death as a transition similar to birth...

a fetus knows nothing of the world outside the mother's womb,

yet the world exists nonetheless, 

which the infant soon finds out upon its birth.

I am hoping that upon death, we similarly will discover

that indeed there is another world out there that we know nothing of

until it is time to transition to that new existence.

I guess we don't have a choice but to wait and see...

xo