Why are some bugs welcomed with excitement while others are immediately dismissed? A few summer encounters with caterpillars, moths, brown beetles and an abundance of ladybugs got Candace thinking about how quickly we judge things by their appearance. We do this with nature, with other people, and sometimes most harshly—with ourselves. A reminder to look beyond the exterior, question our comparisons, and take the time to discover what might be underneath the surface.
Sometimes we decide what is beautiful, welcome, or worthy before we ever take the time to look beneath the surface.
After hearing about a summer infestation of caterpillars that left the trees looking almost like winter, Candace started imagining what it might look like when those caterpillars transformed. Then came the realization that they were actually moths and somehow, that changed the way she felt about them. Later, while camping, hundreds of brown beetles arrived each evening, dropping from the sky at dusk. They were unwelcome guests, yet when an abundance of ladybugs appeared in her backyard, she couldn't have been more excited.
But wait… aren't ladybugs beetles, too?
This simple observation became a reminder of how quickly we judge things by their exterior—and how easily we can do the same thing to ourselves and to other people. From comparing our own appearance to others to making assumptions about someone based on what we see, we can miss so much when we don't take the time to look a little deeper.
Because what's on the outside changes. What's underneath—the personality, the heart, the experiences, and the person we become—can become more valuable with time.
This episode is an invitation to look again, soften our judgments, and remember that there is always more to discover beneath the surface.