About Bluebirds and Butterflies

In case you were wondering, I would like to share the reason I chose Bluebirds and Butterflies as the name of my blog.  I chose this name because both bluebirds and butterflies are very special to me. 

In 2008, my mother, who lived in Florida, developed Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma for the third time.   She had won two fights against cancer previously.  Our family was hoping that she would never encounter this dreadful disease again, but it came back in 2008 with a vengeance.   She was diagnosed with a very advanced cancer and, quite quickly, became very ill.  I flew home in May to help my siblings care for our dear Mother in her last days at home. 

As I was living in Seattle area, I had to book an airline ticket to fly home to Florida.  I boarded the plane and set out for the long ride.  I sat next to the window of the plane and tried to read.  You can imagine the emotions that went through my head.  About thirty minutes before landing, I put my book down and looked out the window of the plane.  My Mother and I were very close.  She was, in fact, my very best friend.  Emotions welled up in me as I gazed out the window and thought, "How can I ever live without my mother?"  Immediately thereafter, a strong thought filled my head.  It was like a voice inside telling me, "Your Mother will be like a butterfly.   Her body will whither, like a cocoon.  But, from that cocoon will emerge her soul.  It will fly away like the butterfly.  Your Mother will be living but you will not be able to see her."   This voice or thought gave me some comfort.  I thought to myself, "Yes.  This will be like my Mother residing in Florida and me in Washington.  Because she was a caretaker to my Father, she had not been able to travel to visit me yet in the Seattle area.  But, she knew that I was living, fine and having experiences even though she could not see me and had never been to Washington State before."   I felt, somehow, a sense of comfort from what had just transpired.  I wanted to document it and grabbed my book that I had been reading and wrote it all down on the last page of the book which was blank. 
The plane was landing, and I gathered my things and rushed off to meet my step-daughter who was waiting for me at passenger pickup at the airport.  I loaded my bags into her vehicle and climbed into the passenger seat.  After we were comfortably seated, my step-daughter handed me a small gift-bag.   I opened the bag and removed her gift to me from the tissue paper.   You can imagine my surprise to find that my gift was a beautiful bracelet.  Featured very prominently on that bracelet was a very large butterfly.   This butterfly bracelet was all the confirmation I needed that this was a message to me from God.   I knew this message was more than just a thought.  It was a message to heal my heart and to help me cope with the very hard experiences that were ahead of me.   I told my step-daughter about what had just happened to me on the plane and, she too, was very surprised. 

Over the next few days, the butterfly kept emerging in different forms.  I went to the local grocery to buy some items for my  mother.  As most people do, I simply grabbed the very first cart at the store-- the one next in line to be pulled out.  As I was pushing the cart, I noticed that someone had put a very large butterfly sticker in the middle of the handle of the cart.  What were my chances of getting this buggy?  There were butterflies on the outfit of the first Hospice volunteer that came to our home.   It began to be hard for me to deny that this was definitely a message meant to be heard.  Sadly, my Mother passed away on June 1, 2008, with my sister and I at her side.  There were other loved ones there as well.  After her service and several days in Florida, I went to the airport to begin my flight back to Seattle.  I took my suitcase and headed to the ticket-line.  I took my place in line and, as I stood there, I glanced at the young woman ahead of me.  She had short hair, and there on the back of her neck was a tattoo.  The tattoo was of two butterflies.   Coincidence or message?   In my heart, I fully believe that this was a message from a higher being. 

Little did I know that two months later, I would be heading back to help care for my Father.  I mentioned earlier that my mother was his caretaker.  He had developed Parkinson's Disease while I was still living in Florida.   After several years with Parkinson's, my Father was in his last stages.  He passed away two months after my Mother in August of 2008. 

My Father had been a very active person before his parkinsons.  He had fished his entire life and had such a love of nature.  After he died,  we noted that in several of his journals, he had referred to a good day fishing on the St. John's River as a "Bluebird Day" and noted how many fish he had caught.   Bluebirds have always been associated with happiness.    "It was a bluebird day!" quickly became a phrase that my sister and I started using to describe a happy experience.  

When thinking of a name for a blog, I immediately thought of butterflies.  I wanted to be able to share with others the message that was given to me.  This message has brought peace to my soul at times that I have really missed my parents.   The day before I started my blog, I bought a little book at my local bookstore.  There, featured on the cover of the book, is the Bluebird of Happiness and a butterfly.   Glancing at this book, I knew that Bluebirds and Butterflies was the only name for my blog.   Sadly, we all lose people that we love.   It is a very hard to lose someone you love and learn to live without them present in your life.   My hope is that you will share the story of the butterfly with someone who needs to heal a sad heart.  May this story touch those who need healing in a very special way and bring them peace and may they again experience "bluebird days."  

My blog is not a story about losing people you love.  It is about the journey of healing and life.  It is about sharing things that have brought joy and beauty to my life.  It is about the rediscovery of happiness and life.   May your life be full of bluebirds and butterflies!   Have a wonderful day!

Comments

[Daisy Cottage]

What an honor to read these beautifully expressed thoughts about your personal experience with the precious signs from God. No words really other than thank you and know that your story truly touched my heart.

Here's to bluebirds and butterflies - and YOU.

Love,
Kim

[Bluebirds and Butterflies]

Thank you, Kim, for the nice comments on my post. After this experience, a friend gave me a DVD about butterflies. It is a documentary about the flight of the Monarch butterflies. I had no idea before watching this DVD, but people travel to meet the butterflies and bring photos of their loved ones. Many believe that the butterflies are the souls of their beloved departed. I had never heard this before and tears just rolled down my face as I realized that this was truly a message from God to me. Just thought I would add this in my reply to you. I am hoping to bring a little bit healing to others and to let them know that you can still find happiness in your life through the beautiful things around us after losing someone you love. Your blog is an example of how you can touch others through your writings and photos. Daisy Cottage is a beautiful and inspiration blog. I have noticed many comments from others saying how much your blog has touched them. Reading Daisy Cottage is like having tea and conversation with a good friend. Thank you! Have a "Bluebird" day! Love, Kim

[Trish Rowley]

Hi Kim, I just popped over from visiting Kim at Daisy Cottage where I noticed that you were starting your own Blog so I thought that I would come and say Hello!!! I love your story about butterflies and bluebirds isn't God amazing, I have a similar story with my Mother and bluebirds I know when she's around because she sends me bluebirds. Thank you for sharing it's very heart warming, I love that your Dad would call it a bluebird day that's beautiful. Have a great start to your Spring I live in Sydney Australia so we have just left Summer and going into Autumn the nights and mornings are a little colder the days are still warm though. Anyway have a Blessed day I'll drop by to say Hi again. Trish xox ;)

[Bluebirds and Butterflies]

Hi Trish,
Thank you so much for taking the time to visit my little part of the world. Isn't Daisy Cottage a wonderful blog? Kim's postings are so beautiful and inspirational. Sydney is a place I would love to visit sometime. My son in Houston has a possible future opportunity for travel with his job to Australia. So, I may get a chance someday to visit him there and explore the beautiful area. Australia is definitely on my "must see" list. I am happy that you were touched by my story of how Bluebirds and Butterflies came to be. Thank you for sharing about the connection you have with bluebirds and your Mother. I know that it must warm your heart to see one of these special bluebirds. I would love to hear your own bluebird story. Thank you so much for stopping by to say hello. May you always see bluebirds and have many "bluebird' days. Sending love your way, Kim