Last week was one of those whirlwind times where I had so many things going on, I couldn't keep up. I'm sure you've had that type of week, too. We were remodeling our kitchen, I had AAs for one book and revisions on yet another (my second Super!!!)and I'd planned a party to celebrate my 55th birthday and the release of my 45th book. A big week full of comings and goings and noises from my tired husband that I can't repeat here.
But on Saturday afternoon, I took a few minutes to walk around my garden. I just needed a few quiet moments before all my guests arrived. A friend gave me a beautiful yellow iron butterfly--one of those garden sculpture type things that you stake in the ground--and I'd place it behind the pool in the palm tree garden. The wind always twists the butterfly around so you can't see it from the house so I fixed it. The iron butterfly's wingspan is about a foot or so. But there on the ground in the leaves left over from winter, a real golden-brown butterfly landed.
I was so amazed, I couldn't move. He sat there and opened his wings (about a two inch span) and this beautiful real butterfly looked almost exactly like my iron one.
I watched him, not daring to move, as he opened his wings and closed them as if he wanted to put on a show just for me. I'm a spiritual person, so I saw this as a sign from above. Birthdays were always a big deal with one of my three sisters. But she died in a car accident involving a drunk driver in 1991. I sold my first book in 1992 and then in 1993, on my birthday, I sold two more. I always told people that my sister had pulled some strings up there for me. So I stared at that beautiful butterfly and thought of all the loved ones who'd gone on ahead of me--my sister, a brother, my parents, my husband's parents, dear friends here and there, and I wondered if that butterfly was a gift from heaven. I didn't want to move from my spot but I also wanted a picture. I rushed inside the house and found my i-phone then hurried back. The butterfly was still there. But here's the kicker. The minute I held the camera to take the picture, he disappeared. And I did not see him fly away. I searched everywhere, but he was gone. Why did I think I needed to put such an intimate moment on Facebook, anyway? Next time, I'll forget the camera and just sit on the diving board and enjoy the butterfly.
Do you ever have such moments where the universe is at peace for just a few precious moments? I'll never forget this butterfly and how he held me in fascination for a few minutes after a busy, joyful week. I hope you find your own butterfly this week.
26 comments:
Hmmm, I could use a butterfly this week... actually my favorite calming time is on the mountain when I can just sit quietly and listen to the wind, watching the clouds roll in and out leaving mist drops on the grass blades and tree leaves. My other spot is at the beach early in the morning or late at night when it's quiet. just listening to the waves crash, sitting mesmarized as the waves roll in, watching the little sand crabs dart here and there... ah I need a break!
And I forgot to mention, no matter how many pictures I take, it doesn't really capture the moment...
Walking through the park, I find myself most at peace. It is truly glorious & I literally stop to smell the roses.
marypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com
Happy Birthday Lenora,
I recently had a moment like that. My daughter had surgery and needed someone to help her into the house. Because of my back injury, I couldn't lift her, but my sixteen year old son came out to the car and carried her inside.
I just sat in the car, speechless at this big kid's kindness. I remember thinking that I wished I had my camera, but knowing by the time I got it, the moment would be gone.
Of course, she threw up once she got to the couch, but that's a different story. LOL
Thanks for the great post,
Kristin Noel Fischer
Lovely post, Lenora. Thank you.
For me, these moments always involve nature and the beauty that surrounds us every day. I just need to remind myself to check out the details--the small things that bring pleasure.
Mary
Happy Birthday Lenora,
Nature nurtures in many ways. Your butterfly is one example.
We have had snow in our yard since late October. No flowers are even poking their way out of the ground as there is still snow on most of our spring plants. However we have raised beds against our south wall where we grow tomatoes. One dandelion is gradually growing bigger and I just can't pull it right now.
The robins are finally back. We spent a long time gazing across the alley at a mountain ash tree full of birds watching for the flashes of red.
A moment that will forever be in our minds happened when we were driving down a gravel road. We spotted a pair of hawks on a telephone phone. My husband stopped and raised his telephoto lens up and I raised up my binoculars. We watched in awe as they mated. After they had flown away he looked at me sheepishly and told me he hadn't taken a picture. I think we remember the moment more vividly because we don't have a picture.
Beautiful story, Lenora, and Happy Birthday!
I remember going for a walk in the woods by myself during a family vacation. Something stopped me, don't remember what, and there right in front of me was this teeny, tiny inch worm floating down from the big trees on a fragile silk thread.
I'd almost barreled right into him. Instead, I watched him make it safely to the ground and start to scoot away. Amazing.
Hello and thanks for the birthday wishes. What great stories. I have a lot of those moments that I cherish and I don't usually take a picture, but the images are vivid in my mind. When my mother-in-law died, we drove home to Georgia. I was driving the last few miles to allow my husband to rest. We were on a dark two-lane road not far from wher I grew up. From the nearby bushes, this huge owl flew out and came right toward the SUV. Now that was a wingspan! At least three feet. He looked grayish-white in the moonlight. I'll never forget that sight.
I love hearing your stories. I think the writer in us makes us very observant and sensitive to nature.
What a beautiful post, Lenora. You don't need a picture when you have such pretty words.
I really feel peace (or God) when I sit alone at the end of the pier at our camp. My pier ambles amid cypress draped with Spanish moss and clears to place you on the big part of Caddo late. The sunsets will take your breath away, and it's really easy to sit and watch nature surround you. The herons lazily flying by, the twittering wrens darting through the branches, the spiders busily repairing the webs I break in clearing out a spot for myself. I watch the fish jump as the sun sinks and know that this world is truly beautiful. I love that time all by myself.
Of course, it's even more special to have time to myself. I dont' get that often.
Nice post!
Years ago, after my daughter was born, I had gone back to work but was unhappy over leaving my daughter. I agonized over it for weeks because I loved my job (and was, at that time, making more than my husband was), yet I wanted the time at home with her. I was looking for some kind of divine guidance about what decision to make. Then while driving home from work one day, after having been in a lot of emotional upheaval that day over it, I glanced down at my wristwatch. The hands were spinning around the watch face, gaining four hours during the course of my 15 minute drive home. Once home, the accelerated spinning stopped, and it never malfunctioned again. It may have been nothing more than coincidence, but it felt like a sign to me. It told me that the time with my daughter was getting away from me, and I gave my notice the next day.
Beautiful, Lenora!!! Was just enjoying my back porch (in the country of GA) and watching the hummers fly back and forth....they are a joy to watch. And when the chimes on porch starting chiming, I feel my Mom (in heaven) is also enjoying the birds....she did love birds so much.
The last time I had a moment like that was watching my grandkids play in the park. At that time everyone was having fun and all was right with the world. I wish we could have more of those times.
What great moments. Liz, your camp sounds wonderful. (Except for the spiders, maybe.) I do treasure such moments. We actually had a blue heron land in our back yard a few months ago. That's rare for a house in a subdivision. It was my deceased mother-in-law's birthday. My husand and I watched the big bird out the window (and yes, he did get a picture.) The weird part--after the bird flew away, my husband went back to dusting and accidentally broke a Humel figurine that had belonged to his mother. At first, he was upset but then he said he thought the big bird and the breaking of the figurine was telling us to move on with our lives. (Of course, we're downsizing next year to a Florida condo and that might have been his way of telling me to get rid of my clutter :)
Beautiful post, Lenora. And a belated Happy Brithday. Hmm...sad to say I can't even remember my last butterfly moment. Maybe I'm not looking hard enough.
Sometimes they show up when you're NOT looking, Rogenna. THey can be very elusive!
That's a beautiful post! I'm not sure my story goes with your post but I'll tell anyway. :) In my early twenties I was living for nearly two years in another country and shortly after I came back I was with no job so I had a lot of free time. I spent most of this time with my grandparents (we were all living in one house at that time) and shortly after my return my granddad died. I was so glad I could spend some time with him. It sounds weird I know, but to me it felt as if he was kind of waiting for me to see him again. So, it wasn't only one moment like your butterfly moment, more a sequence of moments which I cherish every day.
Lenora, your story made me cry! So glad your sister is still watching over you.
Those butterfly moments are elusive, and if we try to make them happen or hold onto them they evaporate. They just are, and all we can do is live them in that moment. I've been lucky enough to have been blessed with several, simple gifts of pecae and connection that act as wake up calls to remind me what is real in my life.
Just takeing a long walk in the spring does that for me.
Happy 55th and 45th... What a week!
Butterflies are so special. If you are really quiet and still and watch carefully, and the light is just right, you can see the fairies riding them. You have to be really careful, though, because on a warm summer afternoon you can even fall asleep watching for fairies in the flower garden. While that note is stolen from my father's unwritten book on How to get seven tired children to have a rest after lunch, even now, when everything starts to wind too tight, I go to the flower garden to watch for fairies on the butterflies.
Lenora, happy birthday and lovely post. Butterflies are always a gift and this one seems very special. And it's so much fun reading everyone's moments. I love the garden in the early morning and every smile my son gives me--as a matter of fact, the scowls and frowns, too.
Hi Lenora -Happy Birthday - I try to have these special moments as often as I can. Life is passing so quickly that I try to slow down and see the beauty of that moment - whether it is my daughter's laugh or something in nature.
I love everyone's posts. Claudia, that was so sweet about your grandfather. The world is full of fascinating things that help us to find peace, I think. We just have to slow down enough to see what right there in front of us. I've sure enjoyed talking with y'all today. You all made me feel better and wherever that little butterfly went, I'm sure he understands exactly why we met up like that. I have a saying-Even when we don't know the reason we burst out in tears for no reason, the butterfly knows. I think my birthday butterfly knew that even during special, joyful times we need little reminders to take some time for ourselves and our inner peace. Thanks for letting me share it with all of you.
For my almost three year old grandson and I, it was having 8 and 9 year old boys teach us the finer points of building a miniature river of sand and water. When kids treat you like they can teach you something, when there is so much joy on a little preschooler's face because he loves to be included and help the big boys...it is just magical.
Happy Birthday!
Peace, Julie
Lenora, happy birthday. School holidays here in NZ and I've just spent half an hour watching my son work on a yo-yo trick, instead of racing around doing chores. Just stopping, like you with your five minutes in the garden with the butterfly, makes room for connections you might miss when you're hurrying.
Karina
A beautiful post...I felt a part of the moment. Thanks for sharing. Since writers by nature put themselves outside the moment--and into other people's lives--I find I need reminding from time to time to really embrace my own life. You were that tap on the shoulder today.
Happy birthday and all the best,
Deb
Thanks Deb. Same to you.
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