Introduction:  Milkweed and Monarchs have a mutually beneficial relationship in the transformation of a Monarch.  Milkweed provides the nectar which nourishes the Monarch while also acting as the vehicle where the Monarch lays its eggs to produce the next generation of Monarchs. Monarchs could not exist without Milkweed. 

As a child I spent many hours on my grandpa’s soybean farm in Northern Ohio.  He worked in a small-town mill during the day and came home at night to till the fields. Our job, my brother and I and perhaps an occasional cousin, was to go out to the fields and pull the Milkweeds that were invading the soybeans.  The Milkweed was thick and strong and had a milky like substance that oozed out if you broke their stem.  Thus, the name Milkweed.  I rarely saw a Monarch in the evening when we were in the fields.  The Monarchs and other butterflies were present mostly during the hot sunny days.   We enjoyed chasing them and watching them flitter about the fields.  During our time at the farm, there was never a conversation regarding the importance of Milkweed to a Monarch.

It was only years later that I understood the significance of Monarchs and their relationship to Milkweed.

This Podcast was created to share the journeys of Extraordinary Humans Living Ordinary Lives.  They will share their stories, their challenges, and their transformations with you, not unlike the migration Monarchs make back and forth during the change in seasons. They will speak about the people in their lives that encouraged or inspired them to make the journey, similar to the Milkweed that sustains Monarchs on their pilgrimage.  My hope is you will feel inspired and grateful for the lives you are currently living and gain an understanding of just how much we need each other.