Butterflies

My mom loved butterflies and also loved to send me newspaper and magazine articles. Put those two facts together and I end up with a whole folder of photos from her butterfly gardens and, of course, some articles she clipped. I happened to take a look at it on Sunday afternoon. Unfortunate how little we acknowledge or pay much attention to someone until they're gone...

Mom did her fair share of driving me crazy, but she's left me a lot of clues and breadcrumbs to follow so I can get over the regrets and get to know what she was like deep down. She passed away in May and I'm finding that the grief is much different from when my first husband died. It's not as traumatic and tragic, but there are shades of similarity and those unexpected moments of emotion that surge up and recycle all losses.

This might be the grief talking, but as I read the butterfly article, I couldn't help but think how much butterflies and widows are alike. Here is the first phrase that hit me---

The creation of the butterfly

starts with the partial

destruction of the caterpillar.

Just like the caterpillar, a widow's life is broken down and partially destroyed. I remember those days. "When will the butterfly emerge," I wondered?

I will tell you about the rest of the article later this week. I don't want to drop it on you all at once. But butterflies are becoming pretty special to me, and especially since they were special to her. I think God even had them in mind when He inspired this verse:

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" 

2 Corinthians 5:17

So don't give up yet. Caterpillars never give up. ❤ferree