Inspirational Stories
Stories Contributed by Our Visitors:
September 1999 to April 2000
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- Misty, Arkansas City, KS
- I don't have a story, but a song instead. Maybe some of you have heard of it. It goes like this:
"There was a caterpillar, who climbed up in a tree.
He wiggled long, he wiggled short, he wiggled right at me.
I put him in a box, 'don't go away', I said,
but when I opened up the box he was a butterfly instead.
Now,I can not make one, even if I tried, o nly God in heaven can make a butterfly."
Now at the age of 23, I remember learning this song when I was little. I am now married with a little 16 month old daughter, and we sing that song almost everyday.
- Christine, Mount Vernon, NY
- It was a Sunday morning the first week of July, 1999. My husband, friends and I decided to go to the Robert Moses (a beach in
Long island New York). I was feeling sluggish and fatigued, because I was depressed. My family and I just discovered our dear
friend Michael Werner was diagnosed with testicular cancer, and it was a shock to us all because Michael was 32 years old and
seemed to be pretty healthy. Michaels' cancer was severe. The doctors explained to us his chances of living were not very good.
The cancer had spread to his brain, lungs, and kidneys.
I prayed to God for answers of why this was happening. and when I talked to God I knew Michael was soon going to be in heaven. I accepted the choice God made to take Michael, but being human the pain at times was so unbearable. I will be honest with you, at times I was walking around like a zombie. I was numb! I was hurting.
So that Sunday when I was at the beach I just really tried to relax and let the sounds of the waves soothe my soul. I felt a little better being out by the ocean, but my mind was on Michael. We all decided to leave the beach around 5 o'clock, and I told my husband I was going to the shore just for few more minutes and it was there I had my encounter with the most spiritual creature called the butterfly. A butterfly landed on my ankle and stayed with me for 20 minutes. It was big (about five inches wide and two inches in length) and it was beautiful it was bright orange and black. I was surprised and at peace. I was thankful to God at that moment of truth. The message was clear to me, and I was thankful.
Later that day I met a new person at a restaurant and her name was Jennifer, and somehow we just connected and I told her my experience with the butterfly. She then showed me a tattoo on her ankle of a butterfly. The tattoo was identical to my butterfly. Later in the week Michael called me at home (which he never does). Michael always used to call me at work. Michael called to tell me about the meaning of a butterfuly. He said butterflies do not live long and they come to touch our spirits then fly to their next destination and that is, to be with God. Michael Werner was a butterfly, and he made his transition to heaven a week later. I love You Michael, enjoy your new wings.
- Carrie Beber, New Haven, IN
- One day I was at a summer camp and I wasn't having
a very good day. My friend, Katy, and I were in a fight because
of one of my new friends, Liz, and Katy was feeling left out.
Then, to make matters worse we had groups and I wasn't in
either people's groups.
When my group had their free time I wandered off to a couple of picnic tables and trees. I was just sitting there when a caterpillar fell onto my picnic table. I picked it up and started talking to it about my friend problem. It lifted it's head up almost as if it understood me. When our group's free time was over, and it was time to go back to the cabin to sleep, I told Katy that no matter how many other friends I had that she would always be my best one. I think the caterpillar helped me realize that I needed to talk to Katy and tell her how I felt. We've now been friends almost 8 long years now. We still have our trouble days, but we always work through them. However, Liz and I have often been fighting and whether there is hope for our friendship or not, I guess I'll have to let God handle that.
- Jennifer, Jenks, OK
- A couple of months after my grandpa died I was in my car going over to my sister's apartment. I was thinking of my grandpa alot and I was upset. I got out of my car and much to my surprise a butterfly flew into my car and wouldn't come out until I helped him out. It was a message to me that my grandpa is always there and that butterfly helped me to realize that. Ever since then butterflies have been close to my heart. Needless to say I collect a lot of butterfly items!
- Alexandra, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL
- It was a hot, sunny day in St.Augustine Florida when my mom, my sister, and I were shopping. We were walking to one of
the stores when my mom stopped. "Why did you stop?" I asked. My mom replied "Look! A monarch Butterfly! Alexandra!". As I
looked at the poor, butterfly, I noticed that it was being attacked by a bunch of ants. The butterfly had no way to escape.
I grabbed the butterfly and showed my mom. "Mom, can I please hold him? I will put him in a different place when we go home".
She said "OK!"
A hour passed when we stopped at the car to go home. I still had the butterfly. My mom looked at me with a sweet smile and said "Do you want to keep him?" I said "YES!" As I entered the car I wondered what I would do with the butterfly. I called it "Blueberry".
I found out that butterflies like bananas. I also found out they loved something sweet. I went to the food market with my mom and got some things that a butterfly would eat. I fed the butterfly the food. Blueberry liked the bananas.
My friend was with me one night for a sleep-over. I showed my friend my butterfly, Blueberry. She really liked him! She said all the butterflies she had seen were flying -not on your own hands! I told her that my mom and I were thinking she was hit by a car, and so she couldn't fly. "Ohh" my friend said.
It was the day before my first day of school. I had Blueberry with me when I was packing up my things. I had to use the bathroom, so I went in the office bathroom where my mom was. Just then, I saw Blueberry starting to flap his wings. He couldn't fly, but it really scared me. I started to cry. I sobbed "Don't die Blueberry. Stay with me. Please don't die!" I heard my mom come in and say "Don't worry! He won't die! Calm down, it will be alright." I couldn't help from crying. I knew it was going to die. Just then, Blueberry stopped flapping his wings. I looked at Blueberry, and started to cry my eyeballs out. I was so sad. My mom was hugging me. She whispered to me "It's alright. He lived a very long time. Don't worry!"
Blueberry had lived for 15 days. The person at the store near my house said that the butterfly lived longer that almost any monarch butterfly! Blueberry wasn't there for me on my first day of school, but he was in my heart, for eternal life.
- Jessica, London, KY
- I am very interested in breeding butterflies to increase the butterfly population and for the fact that I just love butterflies. I have researched butterflies many times, and have seen various different extinct butterfly lists. A few days ago, I was out walking, observing the various butterflies in my area, I was particularly studying a small, yellow butterfly who was hopping from flower to flower. I was mostly thinking of how that if I try to do what I love most to do (something to do with butterflies), then my plan will backfire on me as most of my attempts do. Then a good sized butterfly flew down about 5 inches in front of me and sat staring me right in the eye. That butterfly looked EXACTLY like a butterfly on the extinct list of butterflies. In fact, in my heart I know it was that one. That butterfly sat there looking me in the eye, dead still, for 15 minutes. It seemed to be saying to me: "Don't give up, this is your dream, follow it." And you know, one day, if I make it through with my dream of butterflies, I will look back and say: "The day I really started my butterfly quest, I saw maybe the only one left of a species, and it gave me the hope to go on..."
- Janet, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Two years ago, my beloved father passed away. It was February, the night of his funeral, there was a horrible snow storm.
We got through the stress and the blurr of getting over the first few days of turmoil, and my husband called to me from the
upstairs bathroom ... "Honey did you know that we have a butterfly in the bathroom"? I paid no attention, being preoccupied
with my thoughts, not realizing that this was uncommon, especially for Montreal, in February!
I met with our little visitor later that night, and it hit me, the first time I had ever been this close to a butterfly was when I was about 5 and my Daddy caught me a huge Monarch. I remember how excited he was, and how awestruck I was, and too frightened to hold her. I also remembered the butterfly kisses Dad and I had shared when I was so little.
We have passed two anniversaries of Dad's death now, and both years we have had a butterfly visit in February. I find that butterflies are so prophetic, in that their beauty, like life is so delicate and fleeting we must appreciate the moments we are graced with.
- Sonia, Quebec, Canada
- Last year, I was working in Sao Paulo, Brazil. This is a very large and populated city (close to 20 million people).
Being a "country person", I was feeling so far away from the fresh air, the trees, the wildlife. All I could see was concrete,
all around me. There was very few places in the city where I could sit on the grass or under a tree. The people of Sao Paulo
are the greatest, but unfortunately, life is very hard there. I missed taking long walks...Everytime I would leave my studio,
it was because I really had to. This is one of the most violent city in the world and I did not want to risk it.
One day, I was really fed up of all the noise and bad smells...I could not wait to go back to Canada. I stepped out of the subway, and I was walking in an underground tunnel. I could see something moving on the floor, something very small. Hundreds of people were passing by, barely touching it. As I approached, I saw that it was a butterfly, still moving, still intact. So many people had almost stepped on it, as it was lying on the floor of the underground tunnel. I rushed to it and took it in my hand. I gently closed my hand so it would not escape. Two security guards looked at the scene, a little bit puzzled. I could not believe that this nice butterfly was not hurt...I finally stepped out of the tunnel and found a small flowering tree. I put the butterfly on a flower. It felt really good for me to give him another chance at life. This butterfly made my day! I have always loved animals, and I think that butterflies are the little angels of the animal kingdom. I should also mention that my boyfriend and I are starting to raise butterflies...We will receive the larvae in 2 weeks and cannot wait! Reading the inspirational stories was great. Thanks to everybody who wrote them.
- Kathy Potter, New Market, MD
- This is actually kind of a funny story. I love to garden and I have quite a large display of flowers in my front yard from
Spring to Summer. Around my lampost, I have grown 5 large clumps of yellow tiger lilies (the kind butterflies and bees just LOVE.)
One summer, I was out weeding the lilies, when all of a sudden, I heard a buzzing noise and caught movement out of the corner of my eye. I looked to my left and saw a tiny, fuzzy "thing with wings" flying at me! Needless to say, it scared me and I started running around the lampost, with this terrifying little insect following close behind. I must have looked like one of those cartoons, where you run and run and don't get anywhere. Finally, I ran into the house, and locked the little guy outside. He "buzzed" at me through the door a minute, then took off. After searching the web, I realized it was a Hummingbird Moth. I'd never heard of them before, but ever since them, they've come back to my garden, year after year. The bright yellow t-shirt I wore that day made him think I was a big giant flower! And he was hungry!
After reading some of the heartbreaking and touching tales here, I've also come to agree that butterflies, and all living creatures, are so very special. They were put on this Earth for a reason--to make us realize how precious and delicate life really is, and to savor each moment, and enjoy the "little things."... Stop and smell the flowers, and glimpse a butterfly or two!
- Greenbrae, CA
- I am happy to find this website. Close to 25 yrs. ago my very beautiful 6 year old daughter died of cancer after a 3 year
battle. She loved butterflies and seemed to attract butterflies wherever she went.
A few months ago I was taking a walk along the creek where I live and came upon a boulder with a brass butterfly on it - I walked further into the grove and saw 2 more boulders each with 3 brass butterflies on them. And on each boulder was placed a plaque with the names of deceased children in Marin Co. It was very touching.
Whenever I have been at my lowest somehow a butterfly always shows up and I know soon things will be o.k. At the time of my daughter's death long ago, someone wrote this - "I have read that the life span of some butterflies is agonisingly brief. Only a few days at most. But what a brilliant splash of color they give to the lifeless garden air."
Thanks for your time.
- Rosey Clodfelter, Thomasville, NC
- I am a preschool teacher. One beautiful Spring day, a little three year old boy named Cody and I were sitting on a bench on the playground. We had been talking for a while, when suddenly a beautiful yellow and black butterfly went flying by us. The child look at me and said, "There goes a flutter by". I started to correct the child when I thought, he was right, it does go fluttering by. Since then everytime I see a beautiful butterfly, I think of this child's wonder and the beauty of God's world and I hope that I will always have a childlike spirit in my heart.
- LuAnn Hunt, Amherst, VA
- It was June, 1998, and I was on a historic batteau on the Jamers River in Virginia. It was a warm, relaxing summer afternoon,
as we were slowing drifted downstream. At either end of the batteau is a "sweep" either used for steering or turning. Since
the water was deep and peaceful, there wasn't much need in using the front sweep.
Then, suddenly as if an angel whispered, a beautiful monarch butterfly landed on the sweep. He took charge of the boat as he stood firmly facing the breeze. After a while, he visited with several of us, landing on our shoulders or tickling our tanned arms. Several hours passed, and just as suddenly and as soft as an angel's whisper, the monarch was gone.
Though the monarch was on our batteau for only a short while, he is forever etched in my memory. It's one I'll never forget.
- Toni Garrison, Edgewater, FL
- I moved back home last January to be with my mama. She and I have been very close all my life. She got sick and by July she was terminal. I did not believe she would ever pass. Three days before she died she told me I would know she was happy and safe on the other side because I would see a yellow butterfly. She loved butterflies and collected them. With the sorrow of losing her on November 6, 1999 and what to do with my life I had forgotton about what she had said. I enrolled in the women's center at Daytona Beach Community College and they told us we would get a paper and a pin of a beautiful gold butterfly. I starting crying because I knew she was safe and happy and with me. I don't feel as alone now. I thank God for the sign. My instructor suggested that I do this and I thank you for letting me share my story.
- Karen, Venice, CA
- In Hispanic culture, butterflies and moths are believed to be the released souls of the dead. After a long struggle with AIDS, the sister of my best friend (who's Puerto Rican) passed away. As soon as I heard the news, I wrote a poem (in my poor Anglo Spanish) in which I used the metaphor of a white butterfly (mariposa), comparing it to the white sail on a boat. What I didn't know was that at the moment the phone rang in my friend's home with the call from the hospital that her sister had passed, the gathered family saw a white butterfly fly in from the patio (12th story of a NYC apartment building) and flit around the group just enough for all to see it, and then fly back out the patio doorway. They are certain it was the sister, coming to say good-bye. The next day I delivered my poem to them, unaware of what they had seen.
- Lynn Ramsay, Chatsworth, Ontario, Canada
- I had a beautiful horse that I loved dearly for her entire 25 years of her life and she died.
I was spending sometime pondering about getting another horse to keep her daughter, who was very lonely, company.
I was standing in my driveway and it was funny but after I saw a Monarch butterfly that seemed to not want to leave me
one day when I was outside doing some serious thinking of what was right to do. It seemed to be
almost frantically glued to me and just hanging around me. All of a sudden I thought yes I should get a new horse
friend for her daughter. At that moment the butterfly seemed to relax and stopped hovering around me and flew away.
I felt relief at that moment that I had made the right decision, to at least go take a look.
A few days later I drove about 20 minutes in my car to look at a lovely Morgan mare and my sons were with me. I was standing outside on another driveway, at the horse farm pondering if I should get this horse and all of a sudden a monarch butterfly appeared. Somehow I had been holding back because I thought it was disloyal to my beautiful mare to buy another horse but when I saw this butterfly, I had remembered a previous encounter and how when I had had positive thoughts about when I decided I could go and look at a horse that when I saw this butterfly again, I knew that this was the horse I should buy. I told my sons, "Here is that Monarch butterfly again."
Three years later on New Years Day this year, my family were all sitting watching "Patch Adams" the movie on TV. In a part of the movie the Monarch butterfly plays a similar significant part. I was in shock, so I came to my computer to look up if there was a significant symbol of the Monarch butterfly. Here I found this website and here is my story. In my heart of hearts after this experience I knew that there was a reason for the presence of this butterfly in my life.
- Sarah Chan, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
- 0ne day in the forest there were lots of butterflies. A butterfly named Jerry was looking for food to eat. First he ate a half of grape, then he ate a piece of lemon. When he saw a dish with honey he begin to eat all the honey. Soon he was a very fat butterfly. That night Jerry had a stomachache. The next day Jerry felt better. Everywhere was nice and clean. Jerry had to find all the way home. When he went home, he was glad he was home. The End.
- Palm Bay, FL
- A year ago my cousin/friend passed away a week before his 30th birthday. I loved him dearly and miss him so much.
The two of us had been called the "butterflies" of the family, but I didn't understand the signifcance of the butterfly until
he was gone. Now I know it symbolizes our tranformation from this life to the next. And the amazing thing is, a week after
the funeral I was at the beach in Ocean City Md, and there were thousands (literally) of yellow butterflies fluttering on the beach.
Two of them even landed on me. I felt it was a sign from Mark that he was ok.
Since then butterflies have been even more important to me and I see them frequently. I've even gotten a butterfly tatoo, so I have one with me always. The butterfly will always hold a special place in my heart.
- Jean Coker, Mobile, AL
- On a quiet country road on a beautiful sunny Sunday afternoon the Lord met a need as only He can.
It was a difficult day for Verla Mae, my sister-in-law and all of the family were together. I felt the need to be alone so Bear, the family dog and I walked together and "smelled the flowers". They were along the side of the road in lavenders...yellows...wild and lovely. I enjoyed and worshiped. We crossed the road and someone had built a wooden fence that had grayed with patina of age with fresh brown-eyed susans and morning glories growing at its base. Tiny yellow butterflies were also enjoying the flowers as I was. I felt as the Lord must have as He looked at what he had made and said "It was good."
Suddenly two monarch butterflies came on the scene. They were beautiful as the sun shone on their wings and flew happly, touching wings, separating, flying in playful patterns and then of flight...then settling on one of the flowering plants and repeating this procedure over and over. Then as quickly as they had come, one of them flew the usual circle, making it smaller each time and lit on my shoulder, dipping gracefully, flew away and was gone. The one who was left found several plants to enjoy, settled on each for long periods of time, flying with purpose between stopping points.
"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee" became my uppermost thought as I watched, realizing that God in His mercy, being a very real Father, was reaching down to comfort His hurting child. Much better than a "band-aid", His love poured over me and I knew His presence.
God has given us so much to walk through the valleys of our lives. He knew that butterflies always showed me Jesus and the Resurrection and I realized that the two butterflies were Verla Mae and me. Our lives and hearts touched.....we enjoyed...we worked....we prayed....we loved.....we touched others. Then the time for separaton came when she flew away to You, Lord. I remain to let Your love reach out to others.
Teach me once again, Lord. Your peace that passes all understanding is real once again. You had your arms around me, holding me through these days. All I see is Life. Verla Mae is more alive than I for she is in Your presence. Your promises are true. Thank you, Lord. You said "My peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you, not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid".
Thank you for the butterfly wings that lift us above the heaviness of burdens and ordinary days to see Your Resurrection and Life.
Written October 8, 1990
Verla Mae went home to Jesus October 9, 1990
- Meghan, Alberta, Canada
- My story is quite simple, but the impact on my life was immense.
There was a point in my life when I was certain that I simply did not wish to continue waking up each morning. I felt alone and hopeless, and my misery and isolation was affecting everything and everyone around me. It was then, at the lowest point of my life, that a butterfly saved me. Every day, it seemed, a butterfly would somehow make its way into my life. Friends began giving me gifts which involved butterflies. I would see pictures or read stories about butterflies. The word itself appeared everywhere I chanced to look. Every day, relentlessly, I discovered something that had to do with butterflies. I have always enjoyed the symbolism of the butterfly: freedom and transformation. I couldn't escape the fact that someone or something was trying to let me know that, no matter how I was feeling then, that life is worth living and discovering, that I would never be alone, nor ever had been.
I began to slowly admit to myself that my problems were not going to disappear, that if I continued to ignore my feelings, I would never be whole. All along the way, the image of the butterfly was with me. A constant reminder to see beauty, to laugh, to acknowledge the bad things, but to let them pass over me instead of locking them inside myself.
Now, I wake up each morning thankful to have that day to live. Every moment is special for me, because I came so close to giving them all up. I wear a butterfly earring, a gift from a friend, and it helps me to keep my perspective. Seeing the beauty of this world and of this life is a choice; the serenity and joy of the butterfly helped me to rediscover this truth and to keep it close to my heart.
- Emmett Worick, Orange, VA
- For several days a small butterfly has been flying against my body, sometimes alighting on my clothes or arm. Yesterday, as it sat on my shirt sleeve, I moved my hand near it and it jumped on my hand. I headed for the house to get the camcorder with my new friend clinging to my hand. With one hand I was able to get the camcorder in position. I came back outside and got some beautiful footage of this guy sitting on my hand with frequent wing flaps of its showy colors. I went back in the house, got rid of the camcorder, then loaded the digital still camera with a floppy disc, went back outside and took more pictures. This type of butterfly has shown similar signs of hanging around me in the past, but nothing like the lengthy time it was with me yesterday. Needless to say, it was a very unusual fifteen minutes with this friendly creature that made my day!
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