Featured image: Rainbow Butterfly

The Exquisite and Ethereal Butterfly

Butterflies and the death of a loved one

A butterfly is a symbol of the Resurrection!” … It is a spiritual symbol for life after death because of its metamorphosis, or transformation, from a caterpillar that crawls on the ground to a beautiful, almost ethereal creature that flies through the air.

I never knew that meaning before, and this put me at peace. … It is a spiritual symbol for life after death because of its metamorphosis, or transformation, from a caterpillar that crawls on the ground to a beautiful, almost ethereal creature that flies through the air. – Quote from unknown source

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Many people reported receiving a sign which affirmed that their deceased family member or friend had survived physical death and continues to live in another dimension of existence. We call these symbolic ADCs or ADC signs. They are a relatively common type of after-death communication. Some people are sent a sign spontaneously as a gift, while others ask or pray to receive one. Depending on their belief system, they may ask their deceased loved one to give them a sign, or they may pray to God or the “universe” for one. Typical symbolic ADCs include butterflies, rainbows, flowers, many different species of birds and other animals, and any number of inanimate objects. Whether a sign comes immediately or takes days or weeks to arrive, most people intuitively recognize their sign right away and feel it was intended just for them. ADC signs provide much hope to those who are grieving deeply, especially bereaved parents and the widowed. But because they are a symbolic form of communication, the receiver must interpret his or her own experience and assign personal meaning to it. In the first four accounts of symbolic ADCs the experiencers received a butterfly as their personal sign. 

http://www.butterflywebsite.com/discover/bfliesandrainbows.cfm

Truth – When my mother passed away in May 2004, my daughter, Lori, and my sister (who lived far from each other) both saw a butterfly. My sister, Kathy, was sitting out by her lake mourning when a butterfly lit on her shoulder. She told me it gave her shivers because at the same time she saw our mother’s face. This butterfly also comforted my sister as she wept.

The same day a butterfly flew into my daughter’s apartment through her balcony window and lit on her as well. She cried when she relayed this to me. It gave her peace to know her grandmother was watching over her from Heaven.

My sister passed away nearly four years ago. Kathy and my Lori were more sisterly than aunt and niece. Lori was living in a different apartment at the time that also had a balcony. The exact experience happened again. A butterfly flew through the open sliding glass door and circled her several times before it sailed outside and vanished before her eyes.

Also, Tom, Kathy’s fiance, was sitting by the same lake Kathy sat when Mom died. Kathy had told him the episode of the butterfly when we lost our mother. Tom said how shocked he was as he sat by the same lake Kathy did all those years ago, and a butterfly landed on his thigh. He too cried, but was comforted.

The Creator works in mysterious ways.

RESEARCHERS are close to solving a great mysteries of romance – why falling in love is so often accompanied by butterflies in the stomach. By David Derbyshire – UK Telegraph 

 😍 💕 💑

Butterflies and a crush

As a tortured woman, I was incapable of thinking rationally or controlling my emotions. The truth is, I had never learned how. My traumas started before I ever reached that stage, and I still needed parenting.

Helpless in my wheelchair on the slushy sidewalk in front of the locked chapel, I could not find anyone to drive Carlito and me home after a Sunday morning service.

The parking lot emptied of cars. My chin trembled as I held back my tears of frustration. Then, a dented Oldsmobile pulled to the curb. A rugged-looking guy rolled down his window.

“Yo, you two need a ride?”

I shook my head.

He loaded us into his car.

“Hi, I’m Steve,” he said.  “You’re Nancy, Pastor Bataria’s field secretary, right?”

A field secretary mailed monthly missionary newsletters to supporters of his ministry. Pastor Bataria and his family lived in Africa. I was happy to help them.

We pulled into my driveway, and I thanked him.

“Anytime, sweetheart.” He winked.

Against my will, goosebumps erupted on my arms. Charming and cute, he caused a funny tingling in my stomach. His roughneck-style Bostonian accent and the twinkle in his bluish green eyes attracted me.

My voice cracked, and the words just tumbled out, “Would you like to come inside for a cup of hot cocoa?” Self-conscious, my face flushed.

He brushed my cheek with his finger.

“Would love to.”

A swarm of butterflies tickled my belly. I didn’t stop to think about what I was feeling or saying or doing. How many times had I previously played this scenario?

Carlito ran off to play in his room while I put the pot on to boil. Steve made himself comfortable at my kitchen table. As we sipped cocoa, I lowered my eyes to keep from looking at him directly. The flutter inside me persisted.

A long time had passed since a man had given me any positive attention. And I never had in my life learned to adequately filter what I should or should not get myself into.

We chatted until he had to leave.

“Can I see you again sometime?”

I could not believe a nice, religious guy would be interested in me. I stammered, “OK, but we have to bring Carlito with us.”

“No problem, cutie, he’s a cool kid.”

My face descended through three shades of red.

After he had left, I rolled into the bathroom to check myself out in the mirror, searching for what Steve saw in me. My reflection showed a broken body in a wheelchair. Then I lifted my eyes upward and beamed. I had a date!

Excerpt is taken from Wildflower: An Abducted Life ©

Photographer Lars Andersen – Chorinea sylphina butterfly

By marking butterflies then recapturing or sighting them later, scientists gain information on how long butterflies can live. An average butterfly species has an adult life span of two weeks or less. For example, one butterfly studied in Costa Rica had a life expectancy of about two days, and live ten days at the most. Source: http://www.kidsbutterfly.org/faq/general/12

HOWEVER

Migrating Monarch Butterfly by donsutherland1, via Flickr

Although the smallest butterflies that you can usually spot feasting on the flowers in your front yard will usually only live about one week. Mourning Cloaks, some tropical Heliconians, and Monarchs are some of the only butterflies that have an average life span of about nine months.