The Story of the Butterfly

The Story of The Butterfly

A man found a cocoon of a butterfly. One day a small opening appeared. He sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as struggled to squeeze its body through the tiny hole. Then it stopped, as if it couldn't go further.

So the man decided to help the butterfly. He took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bits of cocoon. The butterfly emerged easily but it had a swollen body and shriveled wings.

The man continued to watch, expecting that any minute the wings would enlarge and expand enough to s upport the body. Neither happened! In fact the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around. It was never able to fly.

What the man in his kindness and haste did not understand: The restricting cocoon and the struggle required by the butterfly to get through the opening was a way of forcing the fluid from the body into the wings so that it would be ready for flight once that was achieved.

Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our lives. Going through life with no obstacles would cripple us. We will not be strong as we could have been and we would never fly.

Butterfly stay with me....

QUOTATION:

Happiness is a butterfly, which when pursued, is always just beyond your grasp, but which, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you. ~Nathaniel Hawthorne

When this butterfly visited my garden, I felt as though God reached down from heaven and 'touched' me. The butterfly even waited for me while I rushed into the house to retrieve my camera...I was also able to take several photos of this awesome insect. It seemed like the butterfly wanted to relate it's 'patience' with me.

Seeing this gentle insect flutter from flower to flower reminded me of a very sad story a lady I met in the store told me. The lady had lost her daughter, however had felt a similar feeling when a butterfly flew into her sun room shortly after her daughter's passing. Now a year later, the lady was telling me how close she felt to her daughter when the butterfly was near. Now the lady was buying some butterflies made out of feathers to give to her lady friends.

I also recall another day when a butterfly landed on a plant. I was feeling particularly SAD that day. However seeing that beautiful butterfly alight gently on the plant in front of me brought me a certain 'stillness' or feeling of peace. As though God was indeed telling me to cheer up. Has anyone else experienced such a surreal 'visit'?

Amber Lace - A Cloth Doll Completed

Two ladies in my craft group made this doll recently so I finally completed my version. She is a stuffed cloth 'beauty'. I painted her face Saturday afternoon while I lazed in my gazebo enjoying the sunshine. Using mainly recycled materials for the doll including a vintage doily for her collar, I had fun embellishing my project with different items I have in my 'stash'.

My completed doll is not as fancy as the picture illustrated in the magazine article, however she is my version of Amber Lace, a Victorian cloth doll bust. I think I will complete the body if I make another one like this doll as I am wondering what I am going to do with her now. Please comment.

QUOTE OF THE DAY:

"Together we create tomorrow's heirlooms."