Love Lives On

I was sitting at my desk feeling thankful, and blessed, and humbled by the blessings I have been given by God just a few minutes ago, when movement at the window caught my eye. I looked over to see a Monarch butterfly flutter in and out of view three times before disappearing and, as always when I see a butterfly, I thought of my mother.

Even though it has been nearly seven years since my mother passed away, I still think of her every day. Whenever I see a butterfly, though, I feel the warmth of her love inside me because I know she is living on in eternity and that the love we have for each other has no ending in time. My mother loved butterflies and in her home she had a collection of ceramic flowers with butterflies resting on the petals. The flowers were all different, and so were the butterflies. I confess that I never asked her why she liked that image so much, but it has become one of the lasting images I have of her.

Butterflies signify change, and the metamorphosis from one form to another, just like our re-creation from human body to heavenly body. Their beauty is a reminder of how beautiful our own heavenly bodies will be when we return to unity with our Lord in heaven. We cannot imagine it, but I know that the difference will likely be as stark as the difference between a caterpillar and that Monarch flying outside my office window.