Inspirational Stories

Stories Contributed by Our Visitors:
January 2001 to December 2001
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Trish, Prince George, BC, Canada: I want to tell all about my friend Catherine. Before I met her I was bitter, angry and mistrusted everyone. The world was meant to hurt you. Love hurt. That was all I knew. I became an expert at pushing people away and keeping them away it was safer that way as people would hurt you if you let them near your heart. I had no close friends and belive me I wanted it that way. Then one day I met Catherine Rose Halliday, I am not sure what attracted me to her but she had a quiet peace and confidance i know I wanted. So I took a chance and asked her out for something to eat. Over dinner I kept thinking what an amazing person she is and how at peace I felt with her. But still I kept telling myself don't get to close or she will hurt you because everyone does. We began to get together more and more and while I got more comfortable with her the fear was still so intense i took pains to push her away. Even asked her when she was going to reject me like everyone else does. But no she never did. Instead she invited me to her church where for the first time I met God. And now I was really supposed to open my heart up to God and that freaked me out. I panicked in church I would run or become short of breath and freak out. Not only did God's love scare me badly but the thought of letting other people in the church scared me insane. Get away, get away. I would be sick to my stomach and turn white as a sheet. Many times I came close to fainting. Many times I told myself thats it I am not going back. I had only one thing to hold onto Catherine. Letting her that close to me scared me even more but she was my life preserver to a drowning man. Each time she would love me, accept me and just stand by me. She stayed by me. I could not belive it. Wow. She never left. No matter how I reacted she stayed. No matter how sick I got she stayed and held my hand. She even gave me hugs when before I would never let anyone do that. But she stayed. My god she stayed. Slowly the walls are coming down and I still worry at times if she is going to leave. But when I fear the most she is there more then ever. I push her away and she pushes back even stronger. The walls are coming down and she is the only person on the inside helping me take them down. She loves me. God loves me. And in her I see God. I am not the same person as I was before I met her, you would not recognize me anymore, the fighter is gone, the bitterness is gone, the anger is gone. The person who saw herself as nothing more then an object is now loved and is worthy of love. All I pray is that I am 1/2 the person she sees me as.

Dinah, CO: The Yellow Butterfly. Our story starts out with my nephew being four at the time and he was playing outside and his mother looked and there were yellow butterflies on him. He told his mother that it was just grandma telling him everything was O.K. Our mother, his grandmother had just recently passed away. We thought it was a beautiful story but never really thought much about it until we started experiencing our own signs with the yellow butterfly. I was having a bad day and decided to go for a walk and as I was walking, out flew many yellow butterflies everywhere. I thought it was wonderful and thought about the story of my nephew. Maybe I was only hoping my mother was sending me a sign of comfort. I quess I was still a little skeptic. Time had passed and so did our beautiful sister-in-law. Our family met for a very sad occassion in our hometown in the south. My sisters told me that she had seen a yellow butterfly as they were walking by the river when they took a break and walk on their long trip in. I smiled hoping this was a sign. As we followed our sister-in-law to her place of rest, a yellow butterfly flew by my sister and myself. I truly felt wonderful. It was our sign. We then proceeded to my brother's home and as we got out from the car, a yellow butterfly flew by us. We couldn't believe this because it was November. Were butterflies still out? Then my sisters were on their way home by car and they decided to stay overnight. The place that they stayed at had a mural painted on the ceiling of children that had passed and among it was a butterfly. My sister asked if the butterfly was a symbol and he told them it was and gave them a brochure on the butterfly symbol. It compared the birth of the butterfly to our own struggles in life and how in the end we turned into something beautiful like the butterfly. The Yellow Butterfly is our sign and it gives us comfort when we see one. Miracles happen to us if we only take the time to look. Coincidences or miracles? You decide. I did.

Lori Warner, Huntington Beach, CA: I planted a lantana bush to attract butterflies. Last week I found a dark brown, very fuzzy caterpillar feasting in my lantana! He (?) was promptly named Walter and I have checked on his welfare every day, sometimes more than once a day.

Today I noticed Walter had crawled up on the cinderblock wall behind his bush. I told him that he might want to go back under the leaves as there are a lot of birds out and about in the morning. Just a safety precaution, mind you. He ignored my advice and remained where he was, on the sunny wall.

About an hour later, I glanced over to Walter's bush and he was still on the wall but he looked funny. I went over to check on him and noticed his body was partially covered with white-ish "wormy things." Devastated that Walter's fuzzy little body may have become the egg repostitory for some insect, I went back to the morning paper. After another 20 minutes or so had passed, I checked on Walter and saw more "wormy things" on him. But something was different! The "wormy things" had web stuff in between them! Suddenly, I realized I was witnessing one of the greatest miracles of nature beginning: Walter was creating his chrysalis. I have never witnessed such a beautiful, exciting thing.

As soon as I returned home from work tonight, I went to check on Walter's work. He had built himself a beautiful fuzzy white blob on the wall behind his lantana bush. I have no idea what type of lepitoptera Walter is transforming into, but I will be watching and waiting anxiously to find out!

Tabitha Taylor, Miamisburg, OH: My grandmother had been ill for a while. She found out she had lung cancer. She passed away April of this year. At the funeral it was a beautiful day, the sun was shining, but also a very sad day. We had just buried my grandmother, looking up we saw about 20 butterflies, and it did bring a smile to everyone's face. I think God has ways of bringing out the best in every situation. I know he did in mine.

Martha Miller, Dallas, NC: I met my husband at the local YMCA. It was a blind-date, set up by a mutual friend. She reassured me, "this is the one for you!". You will meet and fall in love with this one for sure! I was apprehensive at the very least, but agreed anyway.

My fear escalated when his large, 6'3 frame filled the doorway upon our first meeting. I was thinking , he is so big, I would be afraid to get into a car with him to go out on a date.. I had heard all the horror stories about blind dates from my friends.

His soft spoken manner and easy smile calmed me, and I accepted a date on the following evening. We hit it off and despite some obstacles and many differences of opinion, we were married almost 12 years later. He wanted to be a Police Officer and I wasn't so sure that I wanted to be married to one.

Our love went deeper than just romantic love, we were also best friends. We bought a house in January and married the following May. Our wedding day dawned bright and clear, and I saw that as a forecast of the many happy years that lay before us.

Scott was always amazed by butterflies. He remarked on the miracle that they are. How delicate and beautiful. He always stopped to admire the passing butterflies on our many trips to the mountains during our dating years.

Then, one year and eight month's into our marriage, he had to have surgery. He had an accident in his patrol car that resulted in an injury to his wrist. He had to have a succession of surgeries, in an attempt to repair the ligament damage in his wrist. This would be the last one. This one was to finally stablize the motion of the wrist to prevent further damage to the tendons. It was "elective outpatient surgery". We decided that living without the pain out-weighed the loss of motion in the wrist.

Immediately after the surgery, they admitted him into the hospital. The damage was worse than originally expected and they had to take bone grafts from his hip to repair the bone damage in his wrist.

Three days after surgery, I arrived back to the hospital, having gone home to sleep a few hours and take a shower. He was sitting up and bed and had a good glow of color in his face, better than he had had in many days. I was elated. He would get to come home, possibly the next day.

I turned to speak to his father, sitting in the room. I heard a gurgling sound and turned back to see that something was terribly wrong. Scott was not breathing! After a grueling hour of not knowing what was happening, the doctor came into the room. He calmly announced that Scott had a massive embolism hit his heart, a blood clot. He was gone, there was nothing that could be done. I remember my world turning black and my Mother telling someone to "catch her". It took several minutes for me to realize that she meant me.

My world came to a end. All of our dreams, our hopes, and our future together; all of it gone in a split second. I was angry, I was afraid, and I was alone. Even surrounded by many family and loved ones, I was alone. I struggled to get out of bed each morning, I struggled to eat. I spiraled into a severe depression.

Month's passed. I slowly began to be me again. I was sitting on the deck behind our house. Contemplating what it was that I was supposed to do next , when I prayed for Scott to give me a sign. Something simple, something that I would know was from him, and that way I could know that he was "okay".

Scott had always "known" that he would not live to an old age. He had told me this early on in the relationship and I shrugged it off as silliness. He was adamant, "I will not see 40, so I want to go and do things NOW!". We did; we went and did constantly, many trips to the mountains and the beach. I am so glad that we spent that time doing what he wanted to do.

Sitting there on the deck, from out of nowhere, came a beautiful butterfly. I held my breath. Was this my sign that Scott was okay? I watched it as it made it's way closer to me. With tears streaming down my face, and joy in my heart,it landed on me. It walked up to my shoulder and sat there, looking at me. No doubt in my mind, that was my Scott telling me, " I am okay, you are going to be okay, too.".

The years have passed and I continue to be "okay". I miss my Scott all the time,sometimes worse than others, but everytime I see a butterfly I smile. He is there, watching over me and he lets me know it.

Gina, Orlando, FL: When I found out that my best friend had died I was in utter disbelief, even now it doesn't seem real. I keep expecting to hear her laugh or to see her beautiful smile, but I am reminded of her through beautiful butterflies that appear by the lake. My best friend and I grew up together and for hours we would sit together at the top of a wonderful oak tree watching the butterflies beneath us hovering over the surface of the lake. We would talk for hours about how magnificent these fantastic little creatures were. We described them as 'the angels friends' and both agreed that they had absolutely no imperfections. Our dream as children was to one day be transformed into these wonderful creatures and we prayed to God to turn us into butterflies so we could fly to the heavens and live with the angels. As we grew older our friendship never faulted and through it all, we always took time to sit in the tree and admire the amazing angels friends below. The last time we did this we both told each other that although they only live a short time, their beauty is forever etched in our memories. The dazzling little wonders leave an impact with their astonishing exquisiteness that cannot be matched. Now I understand that my best friend is similar to these butterflies. A few months ago she was tragically killed in a car accident as she was walking along a path near her home. For ages I cried and never visited the lake we used to love and cherish so much as I couldn't bear to view the butterflies without her. Her life had been snatched away from her at such a young age and, similar to the butterflies, she hadn't been able to experience a lot of life in her short years on earth. Like the butterflies though, her beauty can never be forgotten and I have a permanent reminder of her in my memories. Her parents had known the impact the butterflies had on her life and when they informed me that they were burying her next to the lake I was overwhelmed. I reminisced on the hours we had spent there; now she would remain there indefinitely. It was a fitting tribute for her.

Yesterday I visited her grave by the lake and I thought about the happy times we had spent and grown together. I read over her engraving and once again I prayed to God to turn me into a butterfly so that I could fly to heaven and be with my best friend once more. I glanced at the sentence, which read her beauty 'sparkled like a butterfly' and just then a colourful butterfly descended and perched itself upon her headstone. I stared at this marvellous little being in astonishment for what felt like ages; I knew that it had to be a message. Like old times she was with me by the lake. And then, just as suddenly as it had appeared, it took flight and soared into the sky. I tilted my head to watch the angels little friend climb toward the clouds and I knew then that her prayer had been answered. My best friend was flying to heaven to live with the angels.

James Dilts, Van Nuys, CA: "Two Butterfly Memories"

I am an artist, creator and owner of J. Dilts Creations, a business I started a few years ago, to offer and sell my handcrafted large butterflies, garden angels and butterfly poems. I sell them locally and world wide on my web site. I have received many special requests and orders from wonderful people from all over the world. Over the past several years I have had the opportunity to participate in a creative and positive way to help many families with a personal tragedy. Some have even been involved on a very personal basis with my friends. Many of these efforts have taken my breath away, by their sheer heart breaking stories. There are 2 such heart rendering stories I wish to share with you.

A few years ago my wife came home from work to inform me that an old personal friend of mine, one whom, I hadn’t seen in about 28 years, had just passed away. My wife found out from her assistant, the younger brother of my old friend. This old friend was a delightful young lady when I knew her. She was a bubbly, wide eyed and cheerful girl of about 18 years old, when I knew her. She and her much younger brother were the children of 2 very nice people I used to work with.

I was devastated to hear about such a young person passing away so early in her young 46 year old life. I wanted to go to the funeral, but found that to be impossible because of my busy schedule and the fact that she lived in another state, a great distance away.

After the funeral I wrote a long letter to her parents, the friends I had worked with, my condolences and shared a few old tearful memories. Along with this letter I sent one of my framed and matted "Butterfly Blessing" poems that I wrote a few years earlier, after the death of my father. Several weeks later after her brother had returned from the funeral and went back to work, he shared with my wife this incredible story of coincidence. A story of coincidence that warms my heart, even to this day.

Her brother began telling my wife that when my package had arrived at the home of his parents, he and his entire family all gathered together to opened it. He read my letter to everyone. They shared a few more tears together then opened up the gift I had sent. As he lifted the framed butterfly poem out of box and sat it on his lap to read it, everyone sat around and stared at each other wondering what their old friend from the past had sent their family, on such a mournful occasion. "It’s a Butterfly Blessing Poem from our old friend" Each and everyone there in the room were almost sure I hadn’t seen their deceased family member in over 28 years. After telling my wife small portions of this incredible story he asked my wife if I knew anything about his sisters fanatical obsession with butterflies, and the fact that everything she possessed had butterflies on it. My wife didn’t know so she called me immediately. I was shocked by the story and quickly replied, "I had no idea about her passion for butterflies". My wife responded to her assistant with my answer. He got the cold chills all over and quickly left to call his parents. Upon his return he began to explain the reason for his question. He completed the untold parts of his story by telling my wife that he was almost sure that his sister didn’t begin to get crazy over butterflies until after I had moved away. But he needed to confirm that information with my wife of me. He said the his entire family was very stunned and spiritually moved by what they had just experience. As it happens, my small gift t o the parents of an old friend I hadn’t seen in over 28 years, lifted the spirits of a very sad family, at a time when they needed something positive to raise their spirits and lift them up with something glorious to remember this sweet young lady by. This "Butterfly Blessing" was a simple coincidence that answered their prayers. Now her parents smile each and every time they pass by this simple gift by coincidence, the "Butterfly Blessing" hanging there on their living room wall, and remember their sweet daughter and her love for butterflies.

This next story came to me from a desperate customer seeking a gift for her brother and his young family. As I read her incredibly sad story by e-mail early one morning, it quickly brought tears to my eyes. She had written of her beautiful 9 year old niece and the incredible long battle she had faced and lost with Leukemia. She had just returned from the funeral and was consumed with grief over her brother’s huge emotionally loss.

She had a few ideas she wanted to kick around with me to help her brother and his family with their deep depression. Many of her ideas were not very workable by her design. Sensing the urgency in her words, I knew I had to respond quickly in order to help her with her emotional and challenging quest. To help lift her brother out of his cavernous pit of despair. I immediately responded with several options, and gently persuaded her in a direction that would meet her needs and help her brother and his family to move onward and upwards with their lives. After 2 or 3 e-mails back and forth, this once emotionally drained sister and aunt began to show signs of life in her words as we worked our way together towards a common spiritual goal.

She wanted something to remind her brother and his family of the wonderful things that filled her little niece’s life with joy and laughter. Something that would bring smiles to the faces of her siblings mournful family. Her little niece loved kittens and butterflies in all shapes, colors and sizes. She also had a favorite color, Pink. Those were exactly the words I needed to hear. What I suggested was exactly what the doctor ordered. After reading my "Butterfly Blessing" poem she knew I was connected in some way with the lives of many people and their love for butterflies. Because of her sense of my caring for her spiritual challenge, she also wanted a signed copy of my butterfly poem, done especially in a Pink background, to hang in her bothers home. Once she agreed to all of my heartfelt suggestions, I began my quest to create something worthy of the challenge she had placed before me.

Each and everyday thereafter I began each day with a new vitalization, knowing that my creation and efforts would serve as more than just a piece of art hanging on a wall. It would bring joy and loving memories back to a family that had lost a gentle little angel from the midst of their close family circle. I must say I had my days of morning, sadness and despair too, as I worked on this spiritual project. You see I have 3 beautiful granddaughters, around the same age as this departed little angel. I kept thinking what it would be like if I were to lose one of my little angels. The thought of not being able to share in their lives and participate in their growth to adulthood, was heart crushing. I had to keep my thoughts on the positive aspects of what I was creating.

I finally completed the task and began to package up the finale results of my artistic efforts. Once again, feeling as though, what I do, truly has purpose and meaning. What greater challenge and compliment than to have someone ask for your help with a truly spiritual quest.

The Creation and "Butterfly Blessing" poem arrived on the other side of the USA and was given to the brother and his family.

Today my scenic butterfly with hand painted kittens and small butterflies painted in the colored pink windows of each wing and my "Butterfly Blessing" embraces the walls of this young families home.

The glorious memories of this missing little angel are kept alive by the colorful butterfly, with the visions of the special kittens and butterflies that filled her life with joy. Now they fill her families life with joy. And the "Butterfly Blessing" poem reminds them of their little angels peaceful ascension into heaven. I also sent an additional framed butterfly poem for the aunt and sister. Now she also has something to remind her of her butterfly niece.

Here is the last communication I received from the aunt and sister of this heartfelt stricken family:

James, I want to thank you so much for the beautiful butterfly you created especially for (nieces name) and her family. I received the package yesterday. I know it will give them great joy to look at it everyday! Also thank you for being so kind and sending me an extra Butterfly Blessing. I will place it in a special spot in my home. You are a very talented and kind person. Thank you again for sharing your talents with the rest of us! I will remember Butterfly Creations for much happier occasions as well.

Lorraine Napoli, Ronkonkoma, NE: I've always loved butterflies so it's no wonderthat they have brought me happiness in my tears of grief. Eight years ago my loving Dad passed away. It was at the end of the month when the weather started to change and get cooler. Butterflies appeared less and less. I had gone to the florist to buy a bouquet to bring to the cemetery. As I looked around to find what flowers I wanted I had asked her to put this butterfly balloon attached to the flowers. I told her to make sure she had tied it tightly for I didn't want it to fly away, she assured me she did. On my ride there as I was stopped at the light I was greeted by two purple butterflies which put a smile on my sad face. When I arrived I put the bouquet down on the pedestal and to my wonder there was a beautiful big monarch butterfly. It came so close to me it let me touch it. It was like velvet; it encircled around my head, flew around my car and landed back on the flowers. Naturally I started to cry. I knew without a doubt that was my Dad reassuring me he was still with me. I said thanks Daddy with tears in my eyes for letting me know you still with me and love me. Something caught my eyes as I looked into the blue sky with tears rolling down my cheeks. It looked like a balloon was set free into the air which was going higher and higher. As I looked down to place the flowers upon his crypt I realized that the balloon was mine and the butterfly and the balloon both were flying off to heaven. It was a gift to me from my loving Dad to let me know he was alright and that I'm not alone. These beautiful creatures of God have meant so much to me in my time of sorrow and it brightened my day, when I needed that special lift to give me peace of heart. Both my parents are passed on and ironically the same situation happened to me when it was time for my Mom to leave me and join him in heaven. These creatures to me are the souls of dearly departed loved ones sending their love to us and they will always return to us just like the beautiful butterfly. In Love & Light Flutterbye

Ashley Howell, Indianapolis, IN: I have not had a long association with butterflies... In May 2000, I got married and was determined to have a butterfly release at our reception. We released about 50 "painted ladies." It did not go as well as planned, as it was a cool day and the butterflies were still sleeping when we opened the envelopes. Nevertheless, it was a memorable, enjoyable experience. My grandpa died of cancer about 3 months before my wedding and really wanted to see me get married. After he died, I received signs that he was in another place- through a dream "ADC" ( after-death communication), and a day after his funeral, I found $200 in a restaurant. I had just borrowed $200 from my dad in my grandpa's house the day of the funeral, to take my fiance out to dinner for his birthday at that restaurant.

A month ago, in July 2001, I was visiting my hometown which is where my grandpa lived the last 2 decades of his life. My friend and I were walking down the pier on Lake Michigan, and a black and orange butterfly flew around us and landed on my chest facing me with its wings closed up. My friend moved quickly to get a picture, and not only did she get the picture in time, the butterfly sat in that same position facing me for about 5 minutes as we walked down the pier. I finally had to gently nudge it away, because I was feeling so strange about it. It flew off over the channel in a beautiful motion. I knew in watching it fly away, and even when it sat with me for so long, that it was another visit from my grandpa, Anthony Militello.

Pattie Forshey, Nokomis, FL: I'm in my second year of horticultural science at Sarasota County Technical Institute in Sarasota, Florida. I raise heirloom organics and a lot of herbs. Needless to say, my parsley, dill, fennel and carrot attracted some beautiful black swallowtails to my garden. I brought 2 fat little caterpillars into my house and provided them daily with fresh clippings of flat leaf Italian parsley and was treated to quite a show! Non-stop eating and instars ... on Friday, July 20th they finally emerged from chrysalis. However, 1 butterfly was born with crumpled wings that never straightened out. At first I thought she was dead, but she moved a little and I decided to let nature take its course and set her outside in the herb patch. The other female was released. That night we had a terrible storm - a deluge of tropical weather. I thought about that little butterfly all night. I looked the next day and could not find her. Hours later, I discovered her, still clinging to her parsley despite the heavy rain and wind. I brought her back into the house and put her into my 10 gallon aquarium, along with as many butterfly nectar plants as I could salvage. I named her 'Tansy', after one of my favorite herbs, and she took an immediate liking to my bright pink pentas. Tansy 'ate' like she was starved - I thought for sure she'd bust at the seams! We developed quite a 'love affair' ... everyday I took her out for fresh air and 'lunch'. I also kept fresh penta cuttings as well as a potted Italian parsley plant in her tank. She responded to my hand - as soon as I opened the tank lid, she would flop around and indicate that she wanted 'up'! I would have to check her every few hours, as Tansy could not balance very well. She apparently found a 'boyfriend' during her brief hours out in the storm, as she began to lay eggs on the parsley plant. Despite her physical limitations, she laid dozens and dozens of eggs. This morning, 2 of my other swallows emerged from chrysalis, 1 male, 1 female. Both with fully developed wings and ready for release. Sadly, Tansy passed away. .. I cried as I held my dear little lepidoptera 'friend'. The day prior she had not been taking any nectar, only focusing on laying. As I lifted little Tansy from her tank, I saw the first tiny 'saddle-backed' cats crawling on the parsley foliage ... Tansy left me something to remember her by, and in my heart she will always be THE perfect butterfly. Her will to survive, despite the odds, is a lesson for all of us. Thank you!

Shanon, Inver Grove Heights, MN: I have been looking for a place to share my butterfly story with so here goes:

A little over a year a go I got a divorce from my husband. My life was shattered. As I looked at the world around me Butterflies suddenly were popping up all over it was winter in MN and snowing but I'd see them on the nature channels and as I went to craft shows I kept getting drawn by them. I thought about the life a butterfly and what it means-change. I started coming out of my chrysalis like a butterfly and feeling free. I started adding more butterflys to my life my kitchen has been redecorated with the theme of butterflies. Whenever I felt down I'd think of butterflies.

Recently I had to go to a funeral and a wedding in the same day. I had also had a falling out with a friend. I got together with the friend a couple days later to talk over what had happened. We went to a local park/zoo and walked and talked. As we went through a tree lined lanelike area I saw 30 or more butterflies cavorting around(possibly breeding?). I asked my friend to stop nearby so I could watch them and draw strength from them. They were weaving back and forth I could hear their wings flapping and hitting. I heard one right behind me and turned my head I had gained a friend the butterfly landed on my sholder and sat patiently as I gazed at it's beauty. I turned to my friend and told him he was looking at my head as I felt a gentle landing. I asked him if one had landed and he said about 3 of them did. another landed close to my face on my chest. I looked to my friend and n ot a single one of them had landed on him.

We stayed there for about half an hour as it was getting really dark. As we talked they were constantly landing on me, but only one landed on him. I felt a calm cradle me. I realized that the Butterfly has become one of my totem animals and I think it's here to stay awhile. I will try to live my life like a Butterfly in all my glory enjoying the time I have to live to it's fullest. Cavorting around from here to there.

Chris, Rome, NY: In February of 1970 I lost my dearest freind, my mom after a long battle with cancer. Just 10 mos. prior to her death we had adopted our son, Jim after many years of trying to get pregnant. He would never get to know his "Mema" as the other grandchildren called her. In the spring of 1970 I watched Jim play in his yard and observed a white butterfly flitting all around him and I thought to myself if there is reincarnation then what could be more beautiful than for my mother to come back as a white butterfly. Well, for days as Jim played I kept seeing this white butterfly and soon learned I was pregnant. The doctor told me I conceived between Feb. 27 and March 3. A gift I knew from my mother who died Feb. 27 and was buried March 3. Our son, Bob was born December 3 of 1970.

I shared my story with my sisters and brothers and they laughed at the thought of their mother returning as a white butterfly until white butterflies started showing up at birthday parties, graduations, and any family gathering. We would laugh and say "here comes mom to check up on us". At a recent graduation party for a nephew I motioned to my brother, Dave that there was a white butterfly flitting around the yard. He smiled and a neighbor quesitoned why it was significant. His response? "It's just my mother stopping by".

In 1974 while we cared for my husband's mother in her home a white butterfly was seen almost daily around her bedroom window. My father-in-law commented that my mother was checking in on Mimere. Well, a few days later Mimere passed away and the day of her funeral two white butterflies flew into our faces as we left Mimere's home to attend the funeral.

I believe the butterfly symbolizes new beginnings and new birth. There is no doubt that 30 years later my "mom" and "Mimere" visit us to let us know they are still with us, they are okay and they are taking care of us still.

Cheryl, TX: My mom passed away at the age of 58 from lung cancer in September 1998. Her illness was discovered only 6 weeks earlier. As we were driving into the cemetary for the graveside service I could feel myself tensing up - unsure that I would be able to get through it. Just then a pale yellow butterfly landed on the windshield on my side of the car and stayed there. My breath caught in my throat as the thought "that's Mom" popped in my head. My apprehension eased somewhat and even as I was thinking that this butterfly somehow was connected to my mother, the logical part of my brain was analyzing the event. I kept thinking that I must really be distraught to have such a strange thought.

I got through the day. As time went by I often thought of that butterfly but never shared those thoughts or that expereince with anyone. Two years later, I started reading about After Death Communication, and read the book Hello From Heaven and discovered that butterflies are common in symbolic ADC's. Still I questioned the reality of that butterfly encounter. One night I went to bed telling myself that if that butterfly was truly a sign from my mother then I would dream of butterflies that night. The next morning as I rushed to get ready for work, and the kids to school I was taking out the trash when it dawned on me that I did not recall a butterfly dream. I thought, "Oh, well, maybe it was just an irrational thought that came from grief". At that very moment a butterfly flew onto my arm and up into my face and was all around my face. I gasped! My mom had given me a sign I could not question. Had I dreamed of butterflies, I still would have questioned whether my own power of suggestion had caused the dream, but my power of suggestion did not cause a real butterfly!

I eventually shared the butterfly connection with my family. When I told my sister, she shared a story her boyfriend told her. He became very ill the night our mother passed on and was hospitalized in ICU for about a week. He nearly died. Later he told my sister that he felt that he left the hopsital and saw my mother in a flowery meadow with butterflies all around her. She asked him what he was doing there and told him he had to go back. He then felt he was back in the hospital. He eventually recovered. Fastforward to 6 months later: My 18 year old niece who had lived with us awhile and who had always been very close with my mom and depended on her tremendously went to the doctor for a knot on her shin that she had assumed was a bad bruise. She suddenly was having to go for all types of tests because the doctors feared bone cancer. I understood the terminology and realized that they were already calling it bone cancer but my niece did not know it yet. Her mother was living in another city and I was the only person who could be there to go with her. The hospital was only 5 minutes from my home, and we came home to eat between MRI's and Bone Scans and other tests. As we left to return for the next test I saw a butterfly on my front porch, but I was trying so hard to keep my apprehension hidden that the butterfly didn't really register. As we approached the hospital, my niece said to me that she felt that everything would be OK. I asked her why she thought that, and she said that she knew because of the butterfly on my porch. That took my breath away. Then I realized it was January and I don't recall ever seeing butterflies in January!! Her diagnosis was bone cancer, and a few days later we were sitting in the crowded waiting room of a orthopedic oncologist. There were a bunch of news magazines on the table in the waiting room - not exactly fun reading to an 18 year old. I reached into the middle of a stack of about 15 magazines and pulled out what turned out to be a nature magazine - with butterflies on the front cover! My niece and I immediately recognized the significance. She was sent immediately from the oncologist to the hospital to pre-register for surgery and undergo pre-operative testing. This was the worst part for her because she is terrified of needles. As we went to the waiting area for the lab work, I picked up a women's magazine and flipped open to the middle - and found an article about butterfly gardening! We were stunned - what are the odds? The final pre-operative test was a routine chest x-ray. We went downstairs to radiology, signed in and went to the waiting area to sit down - snf on the table by the only two available chairs was a photography magazine with a picture of a BUTTERFLY! We had to laugh. It was the only magazine on the table. There was no question that my mom was with us that day. A week later my niece has in the hospital for surgery and we were waiting in a pre-surgery room. She was terrified - more because they were going to draw blood than the surgery and we were all apprehensive and uptight. They were running about 2 hours behind, but finally a nurse came in to draw blood. My niece began crying, and as I stood behind the nurse I noticed that she had an embroidered butterfly on her the right shoulder of her blue scrub shirt! As they took my niece on to surgery I looked around the area at all the nurses and no other nurse had a butterfly or anything else on her scrub shirt!!

My niece's surgery was a success and is considered curative. Although she is still recovering from the extensive surgery, she won't need chemo and despite a few scars and a titanium rod in her left leg, she should not need any further treatment. She was right, everything is going to be OK. Recently she and her sister were outside when a butterfly landed nearby and then came to them. They stayed outside with that butterfly for a couple of hours, with it crawling on both of them. They took pictures of it and felt they were connecting to their grandmother. When they came inside, the butterfly landed on the patio window and stayed there for an hour more. Now everyone in my family connects with my mom when they see a butterfly!

Iris, Lula, GA: Butterflies were a turning point in my life. Now, how could that be, one might ask.

I was having some depressing days a few years ago, when a friend suggested we go for a ride. Certainly wanting an uplifting of spirits, I decided to go on this drive that I would remember for the rest of my life.

My friend turned down a dirt road where lovely trees overhung, and many wild flowers were blooming along both sides of the winding roadway.It had been raining on this morning, so there were puddles of water standing in dips on the ground. The grass was sparkling like diamonds and the smell of the air was fresh. Little did I know that after our journey, the senses would be more definate than I could ever imagine.

My friend told me to close my eyes and only to open them when he told me. I could feel the truck that we were riding in, round a curve to the right, ever so slowly. He stopped the truck and all was quiet. My friend ask me to listen to any sounds that might arise. I first heard some birds, not far away. Then the soft russle of a brook to the right of me. He told me that he was opening the truck door and would be around to open my door. I heard the latch of the door open. He took me by the hand to lead me outside.

He ask if I had ever "run through butterflies?" I told him that I had not. Why, I had never seen alot of butterflies at one time anywhere. He ask me to open my eyes. There on the damp dirt road just ahead were the most butterflies that I had ever seen in my life. They were all gathered around a puddle on the road. He told me to "run through the butterflies." I did. I felt the wings fluttering against my face. The beautiful creatures that God had made scattered to the heavens. There were hundreds of the little "angels" just waiting to be appreciated.

As soon as the last butterfly arose to the heavens, my senses quickened. I smelled, tasted, felt, heard, saw everything with a heightened sense. This was the most glorious feeling that I have never forgotten. I'm ready to find the butterflies again.

Laura Schaeffer, Tower City, PA: The following poem was written by Mrs. Gayle Minnich, a first grade teacher at Williams Valley Elementary School, Tower City, PA. The poem was written as a dedication to Kayla Elizabeth Wertz, a seven year old "butterfly" whose life tragically ended when she was hit by a car on November 2, 2000.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We never think, as we live each day,
That one so dear would go away,
And leave us all with broken hearts,
When she so suddenly departs.

It's hard to think that life goes on,
When such a special one is gone,
A child so full of joy and promise,
So quickly, sadly, taken from us.

Every time her bright face smiled,
Love itself shined through that child,
And lit the room, and made you glad,
To share the happiness that she had.

Today I watched her friends at play,
And wondered why she could not stay,
To run with them, and laugh, and grow,
An answer we will never know.

I wished that I might see a sign,
To ease the pain I felt as mine,
When a yellow butterfly, as if on cue,
Up above the playground flew.

I watched it as it seemed to play
A game with them of "Keep Away,"
It fluttered among the kids, alone,
By the end of recess it was gone.

It reminded me so much of her,
Sunny, kind, and very dear,
Always happy, bubbly, and bright,
Just like the butterfly in flight.

Those who knew her through the years,
Will think of her with smiles and tears,
And hope our prayers, and words of belief,
Might loosen the strong hold of grief.

Although we could not keep her here,
We'll always hold her memory near,
She'll be the first fresh day of Spring,
The brightest flower, a lovely thing.

She'll be the first soft drop of rain,
The taps against your windowpane,
She'll be the snowflake, when it snows,
That gently lands upon your nose.

She'll be the first star out at night,
Twinkling softly in out sight,
I believe God saw that smiling face,
And said, "Little one, I've saved a place,

Where you'll be accorded all the worth,
Of the richest, greatest men on Earth,"
So, Little Kayla, this wish we bring,
That, while you hear the angels sing,

You'll think of us left here below,
The ones who love and miss you so,
And pray for us to understand,
That God now holds you in His hands.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Williams Valley Elementary School is currently raising money to make a butterfly garden in Kayla's memory. The current plans are to have the garden surround the playground, so the children can celebrate Kayla's life, and not mourn her death.

Vicki Liley, Sydney, NSW, Australia: I love dogs, so much so that I had 4. The oldest was a long haired German Shepherd. Her name was Cleopatra, I called her 'Patra'. She was beautiful, black in colour with ginger coloured markings on her feet and neck. I had Patra since she was 8 weeks old. At nearly 14 1/2 years old,her health began to suffer.Her back legs and back were giving her much pain. She had been my best friend. Patra had always been there for me, she had made no judgments during our long time together. We loved each other..... so much.

As she became more and more sick and the vets could not do any more, I was asked to consider putting her to a painless sleep. I could not even think about it...

as time went on Patra's pain became worse, she could not walk. i was giving her handfuls of painkillers to get her through the day. Finally, after speaking with my Mum, I decided to help Patra on her journey to heaven the next day. It was, I believe the most painful 2 days of my life. I had to organise my vet to come to my house, then I had decided to have Patra cremated, so I had to organise someone to pick up her body soon after she had died.......The next morning Patra "walked" to the front garden. I cried, was she now well? My vet arrived, we cried together as I held Patra, she left me for what I thought was forever. I had her body cremated, and I buried them on her favourite beach in Newcastle. N.S.W. I waited while the ocean washed over what I believed was and is my best mate. Tha days after this were filled with tears,and doubts about my decision. I heard Patra walking my hallway at night, I felt her cold nose on my face at nights. I was so unhappy...............

About a week later I was sitting on my back deck, when the most beautiful black and ginger butterfly flew up to me. It was happy, it was young and full of life.... I told my mother about this beautiful creature, she said it must be Patra. I believed her, because the feeling I got when I saw it was eternal love. I now see that butterfly everywhere.

I became so in love with the thought it was Patra, that I have had butterflies tattooed on my body as a symbol of my belief. It was just yesterday that I purchased a book on butterflies, and in the book it tells many myths and ancients beliefs about butterflies. I was amazed to read that for millions of years the Chinese have believed butterflies are a symbol of immortality, eternal love and heavenly afterlife. Patra has returned to watch over me just like an "angel"

Kay, Tyler, TX: I have only recently become a Christian and have found God calling me His little butterfly quite often. I found out that butterflies represent new life, so I wrote a song about it.

God's Little Butterfly

You were once a caterpillar
eating up the sinful world
Then I took you, I covered you
in my cocoon where you could grow
I released you, I set you free
from the sinful life that you used to lead
My little butterfly (4x) won't you
soar with this new life
high above the shadows
high above the night
Don't be afraid for I am with you
I will be your wings
I will be your light
Now won't you go
pollinate my flowers
spread to them my word
so I can give them life
extend your beauty throuh the sky
so every heart can see
what I've put inside
My Little Butterfly (4x) won't you
soar with this new life
give me your wicked ways
and I will make them right
Don't be dismayed, for I'm your God
I will strengthen you and give you victory
You were once a caterpillar
crying out won't you please change me
Then I took you, I set you free
Now your beautiful, you have changed to be
My Little Butterfly (4x)

George Dovas, Sydney, NSW, Australia: As ferocious as some storms may be,
Buterflies will always fly free.
Looking upon us from far and near,
To guide us through life's misery.
To bring us joy,
To bring us cheer,
To show our hearts, how beautiful love can be.

Brian Appell, Holyoke, MA: Here is my story. I am somewhat of a caring and sensative person, and growing up I have always been into family activities. My mother and I were very close, you could say we were best friends. Well, a few years ago she became ill with cancer. I took care of her for over a year, until she passed away on my 26th birthday. After she passed away, I got together with the other love of my life, Amy. We were set to get married in June of 2001, when we decided to visit a butterfly conservatory, Magic Wings, in South Deerfield Massachusetts. We knew then, that we had to get married there. So in three weeks notice we decided to get married there on February 17th of 2001. It was extremely exciting, because it is so magical to have these butterflies flying around while you are getting married. Well, the one person I wanted there the most, I knew I couldn't have there. It was my mother. So I decided that I wanted to release a butterfly in honor of her, and to symbolize her presence with us. Well, that day, the most magical thing happened. I had prepared to say something at the beginning of our ceremony, and then release the the butterfly, which was a morning cloak. When I went to release it, the butterfly jumped out of the envelope right onto my tie. She stayed there for 45 minutes, throughout the entire ceremony and through almost all of the photographs. I really can't put into words what had really happened. It was truely a miracle! I honestly beleive that that was my mother, and that she wanted front row seating for our wedding. The best part is that we have this on video so that we can cherish this miracle forever.

Beth Wass, Pensacola, FL: My mother and I have been gardeners for as long as I can remember.We have a small nursery. We started watching birds, then butterflies. We bought a tray of liner milkweed because we saw it bloom and liked how it looked. We planted some seed pods and the new plants came up. I was watching over the nursery as I usually do each weekend. My parents came home from fishing and my mom said I had not watched the nursery very well because the seedling plants were ate up with worms. Little did we know that this was our first crop of monarch butterflies. We have had many crops since then, and we have tried many differnt things including, new plants, butterfly cages, and trying to attract different butterflies. Last year we had collected so many buckeye caterpillars from a nearby field, that any teacher at my sons' school who wanted some caterpillars could have plenty. I spent at least 45 minutes every morning giving out food to the teachers to feed the litter critters. The children are so amazed at how such and ugly little worm can turn into such a beautiful, graceful, magestic butterfly. Now so many of the children know me because of visiting their class even though my sons weren't in their class. They see me walking down the hall and holler "Hey, there's the butterfly lady". What a compliment. It's a lot of hard work, and time consuming, but well worth it for the children to see the miracle of life happen right before their eyes. Who says there isn't a God up there?

Amy, Lewiston, ME: Mine isn't a story so much of a single incident where a butterfly touched my life, but of the process of becoming completely enamored with the beauty of butterflies. I was in my early twenties and I was suffering from severe depression. I had attempted suicide and was struggling to get to a better place in my life, and was really feeling that while the journey was not over, that I was on my way. It was at this time I started to associate my "metamorphasis" as that like a butterfly's, from a caterpillar ot the beautiful creature it becomes. I became a butterfly nut and got a tattoo of a butterfly to signfiy this time in my life. The same day I got my tattoo, I saw the biggest (and I mean big), most wonderful butterfly I have to this day ever seen. I knew then in the most profound way that I really was on a journey and could become that graceful and beautiful, despite my fragility at the time. Tears came to my eyes when I saw the butterfly that day, it gave me such hope and serenity, I felt it was there for me.

Nellie Gooden, Glasgow, KY: Several years ago my husband and I picked up a little girl, about three years of age, and took her to Bible School. Her parents were friends of our oldest son. She didn't know us very well at all and we were trying to make her feel at ease. We had tried to talk to her about several subjects and she wasn't responding well to them. The next day when we picked her up from her home I was buckling her into the seat belt when I remarked, "Look at the pretty butterflies." There were several small yellow butterflies around the car. She got very excited and immediately started telling us how she LOVED butterflies and the little yellow ones were her favorite. She talked non-stop to church and the rest of our trips to and from church were on the subject of butterflies.

She went to Bible School with us the next year too, then due to scheduling conflicts, she couldn't attend anymore. My husband and I often talked about the sweet little girl, and everytime we saw little yellow butterflies we thought of her. Many years went by and my husband and I saw this little girl as she was about to graduate from high school. We introduced ourselves and asked her if she remembered us and the trips to Bible School. She said she didn't. We told her how she loved to talk to us about butterflies. She didn't remember that either. Several months went by when we saw her again. She smiled at us brightly and said she couldn't get the story off her mind after she had talked to us. She had gone home and drew beautiful pictures of butterflies in remembrance of a sweet time in the past. She was grateful for this memory of her childhood.

Melanie, Berkeley, CA: Childhood was hard on me. There was abuse. There was fighting. There was heart ache after heart ache. But I got through it somehow with good memories and strong ambitions. At some point I chose to look beyond what was to what could be.

When I was still a little girl a friend of mine once said to me, "Melanie, I think you're like a butterfly. Your life is starting out ugly and rough but one day you'll become a butterfly and fly away to something better, something beautiful." That moment changed my perspective forever. I embraced a life of hope and unending optimism. There is truly no other way to live than to forever desire tomorrow to be better than today. Never settle. Never lose hope. Like a caterpillar, you can come from humble beginings into a higher self. . .the butterfly inside of you.

usa: Our dearest mother passed away on the 1st Sunday of Advent, 3 December 2000. As IS our custom, when a person passes away, prayers and rosaries are being said for the deceased person.

Well, one evening after the prayers and rosaries were done, a butterfly just almost magically appeared in the room and started to fly all over the room as if it is very happy. Then, at our beautiful Our Lady of Mt.Carmel Church where my mother was placed for the last respects and for the funeral mass, as her casket was being open - again, a butterfly magically appeared right above the casket and and our family and the butterfly was just flying, flying - stopping above each and every member of the family and started fluttering her wings as if saying and showing and or blessing the family and to know to not grieve because she has indeed finally met her creator and happy and joyful that she's with Him eternally.

Inspirational Stories

Stories Contributed by Our Visitors: January 2001 to December 2001 (Newest Items at Top of List)

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Stories Contributed by Our Visitors:
January 2001 to December 2001
(Newest Items at Top of List)