Monday, May 14, 2012 — Last year, as every year, I gave Emma a Mother’s Day card. Even though I picked one with a big picture of colorful flowers on it and a simple verse, when I showed it to her and read it to her, it didn’t much register. This year, I received a message from her.
Emma’s healthcare aide Daphne came by on Mother’s Day and brought me a card. It is a pretty pink card bearing a message saying in part, “Your love is a rare and beautiful gift and there’s no one who shares it like you.” How thoughtful and touching.
Then Daphne told me that the night before Mother’s Day a message flitted into her mind. She felt compelled to write it down. Without pause, she went straight to her room, shut the door, and the words just flowed from her pen onto the small piece of paper. This is the message:
To: The Listeners
I am a new butterfly in heaven town. I will be on the trail checking in on everyone! So now and then I will be by everyone’s side. Just remember Family and Friends are most important. So strive through thick and thin. And when you get down and out just imagine a one of a kind butterfly ever so beautiful. And know that someday you too will get your wings in due time. So the next time you see a butterfly it might just be me flying around to check in on everyone!
Lots of love,
xoxo’s Emma
After Daphne wrote down the message, she tucked it into my card. Then she heard an odd sound. It was a fluttering. She looked up and there fluttering around her light fixture was a small butterfly. Daphne went to the butterfly. It had singed the edge of its wing. She turned off the light. The butterfly landed on Daphne’s index finger, glommed on and wouldn’t let go. Daphne walked around with it. She couldn’t pull it off; she might pull off a wing.
The butterfly held fast to Daphne’s finger just like Emma had held fast to Daphne’s arm, glommed on, when Daphne was turning her in bed. Emma was so afraid she’d fall, even when in bed.
Emma loved her gardens of flowers, especially the roses. And she loved butterflies.
Daphne put the butterfly in a jar giving it air and showed her son, 11. Her son had come to our house sometimes and helped Daphne take the last photos of Emma. “It’s a moth,” her son said before seeing the winged creature. When he peered into the jar, he saw that it was a small butterfly.
Then Daphne took the butterfly outside and set her free.
–Samantha Mozart
"Butterfly" Watercolor by Emma
For some reason the images no longer show here, but when you click on the question mark, it links to my books on Amazon.
How beautiful the story is. What a blessing Daphne is. And the butterfly painting…oh how wonderful. Eva too loved butterflies and painted them. A late friend wrote a poem about me as a Monarch making my metamorphosis when healing from agoraphobia, the house being my cocoon. My mother loved the analogy he used and the fact that he used my name the begin each line. Because they are all in spirit now, your Emma, my Emma, my Eva, my Bruce, this story give me such a huge happy aura of love from all of them. Bet our moms are painting together at times, and surely laughing together at us. Carol you are so gifted!!!
That is very sweet and thoughtful, Marsha. I am joyful that you are out of your cocoon.
What a loving tribute
Connie, thank you. Weren’t we fortunate to find Daphne to be my mother’s companion and caregiver in her last days? I know how very much my mother appreciated that. It meant a lot to her.
Your imagination serves you well.
🙂 🙂
I love this — the image, the word choices (“glommed” is such a good word), the synchronicity of it all….Today, Zeke and I spent some time with a dear friend on what happened to be the 1st anniversary of her mom’s death. She has a jewelryand -collectibles shop called Forget-Me-Nots: well, somebody came in to sell her some scrap jewelry, and among the items was a ring with forget-me-nots on it. It was the sign from her mom that she’d been waiting for. And this story has much the same feel to it.
It is just so amazing, T.J., all these signs. I think we are receptive to them. Some people wouldn’t notice. And, your compliment on my post — coming from you means a lot. Though I must say that the word “glommed” came from Daphne. I thought it was pretty good, too.
T.J., your story too is so poignant. With your comment and Carol’s story, I found myself gazing into, what, a clear and lovely, netherworld or some space of brightness? I found part of my own story in the messages left by our spirit loved ones. They send in such marvelous ways, connecting both the souls of the earthly and spirit world. I am other wise wordless. As you know that won’t last long.
Very sweet…
R.
Why, thank you R. That is Daphne. She is very thoughtful. Mother was lucky to have her help. I think that’s why she flitted in to see her.
Beautiful. I hope you experienced love on Mother’s Day.
I certainly did experience love on Mother’s Day. And you and Celeste, too, I hope — actually, I would imagine. 🙂