BUTTERFLIES July 2005

Flitter here, flitter there,

Gracefully shifting with the wind.

appear out of nowhere-- gliding gracefully into sight and disappearing with much less fanfare.

No whisper of wings,

no crunching or munching, no spitting or staining, no slithering or stomping --

Flitter here, flitter there

a silent voyage across our senses.

Butterflies, one of Mother Natures most beautiful and delicate creatures. Beautiful and whimsical, yet strong and determined. They are amazing creatures and somehow the sight of a butterfly can be calming and exhilarating at the same time. As they land and spend a moment resting, time is of the essence -- study them quickly before they flitter away, again to continue their journey. Many will travel distinct routes and migrate from one country to another. They can be found in every corner of the globe and there is such an array of different varieties. Where, one can ask , have they been and where is their final destination? Truly one of life's great miracles.

But I guess we have miracles happening around us every day, The kind that sneak up and go unnoticed, daily life and every day living fills our time. Our children are perfect examples. We keep them safe and in a cocoon, nourishing and tending to their needs-- until all of a sudden, there they are - ready to spread their wings and fly out into the world. Leave the nest and fly on their own A metamorphosis!

A close friend believes every person becomes a butterfly sometime within the span of their lifetime. His theory is: no matter how a person lives their life, at some point they will be granted their wings. May be some time early in childhood, may be in mid life or it may be with in the last few minutes on earth. Rather an interesting theory. I won’t dispute it, because I like to believe every grumpy person will eventually spread their wings. What do you think? Have you received yours yet?

Recently I was in line at the bank, waiting patiently for my turn. Ahead at the wicket was a surly old gentleman, giving the teller a difficult time. The more he demanded, the more frustrated the poor girl became. Tears were filling the corners of her eyes, and still he demanded attention and barked orders. From behind I could visualize his shoulder blades turning from angry bumps into beautiful wings. Unfortunately it didn’t happen. Darn!! I was so looking forward to a miracle

This past summer, while working as a wedding planner, I was fortunate to participate in a special event. The young couple had chosen butterflies as their theme and arranged to have a unique surprise for their guests following the ceremony. Guests and bridal party gathered at the bottom of the gray stone steps, the glorious old church steeples raised above our heads. All eyes were glued on the master of ceremony, decked out in his red serge as he read a lovely poem about butterflies. At this point it was my duty to hand out small white rectangular boxes to bridal party members. As each box was carefully opened a lovely monarch butterfly appeared, and soon the air filled with wings fluttering to and fro. The monarchs pranced from bouquets to blouses, suit jackets and sparkled hair-- after resting in several spots for a few moments it was as if they gathered their directions and decided to play tag as they made their way across the green lawns and explored the flower beds and trees. Soon they dispersed through the blue skies and headed for open spaces. Certainly a sight to behold. And on their wings they carried the symbols of peace and happiness -- a special blessing for all involved.

Yesterday I was blessed with two encounters of the ‘butterfly kind’. Yes, two in one day is pretty amazing. The first took place as I went for a hike with my brother, sister-in-law and their teenage daughter. The weather was humid and rain had recently filled all the ditches and created a good amount of mud-- our shoes looked like clay feet, the trail was wet and slippery. All of a sudden there were 2 small blue butterflies dancing ahead of us-- they were no bigger than my brother’s thumb nail. Daintily they sat on a blade of grass and rested long enough for us to take a good look and admire their beauty. The second encounter took place later in the day while visiting a cousin. Her husband was anxious to show me his latest creations-- he was working on some new pieces for an upcoming art show. There in his studio sat a large picture with a beautiful blue butterfly on the right hand corner of the canvas. This one didn’t dance off out of sight, but it certainly felt like it was winging it’s way off the canvas.

Years ago I was employed by a large corporation whose logo happened to be a butterfly. They used it on brochures, business cards, scarfs, jewelry. For the company it signified several emotions, but the main symbol was one of motivation.

Spread your wings and fly!

Become all that you can be!

Soar above the crowd!

You surely can recognize many of the slogans and clichés which can symbolize a butterfly, most are familiar and often used in every day life. I’m sure you could name a few right now. Try it -- sit back, relax and search your memory Do you feel an added burst of energy or motivation? Truly amazing the positive energy which can come from such a small creature.

So as I come to a close of my little story, I have to ask " How have you transformed? Are you venturing out of your safe little cocoon? Have you received your wings? And if so, have you spread them to their greatest length?" Go ahead, try it; reach for the sky.

Always remember " There is no limit to how far you can fly".

Enjoy the journey.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Copyright 2005

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