The Worth of a Life

I spot the little fuzzy brown lump wriggling across the porch. “Oh, what a disgusting creature,” I say. “I hate caterpillars.” I lift my boot, but before I can crush it under my heel, I stop. Yuck, that will make a squishy mess. 

I pause a moment to think. Who am I to decide this lowly lifeform isn’t worthy to walk the same ground, breathe the same air, or live a full life as I do? Aren’t we all part of God’s creation?

Gently, I pick up the caterpillar, walk to a nearby bush, and release it into the leaves.

*****

Micro-fiction, 100-words exactly. This is a sequel to my previous short story “Knowing” told from the opposite perspective.