Upon sitting in the park,
A little butterfly I did see.
In fact the first time I saw it,
It was perched on my knee.
After minutes of stillness from both it and me,
Away it flew so elegantly.
Next thing I knew, looking down at my page,
There it was again,
Now having me ponder…
Perhaps I’ve made a friend?
My thoughts start a’flying,
Is my new friend a sign?
What is it telling me and what will I find?
Bringing peace to my heart and a smile to my face,
Perhaps it’s showing me there’s beauty in change.
Reflections
We all have those days where it seems like a domino effect of bad things just keep happening. So after a walk to the park to take some much needed time for myself, my book, and my thoughts, I was drawn to this little guy who landed right on my knee.
Immediately after its landing, my heavy thoughts became light and my frown turned into a smile. Appreciating however long this moment would last, I stopped my reading to admire its beauty. After flying away, to my surprise, the butterfly continued to return- on my page, on my shoulder, and back to my knee. For an hour this little guy kept me company and it was hard to resist the thought of- does this mean something?
Some will call it corny and some will call it cliché, but here’s where my time with this butterfly brought me:
With only two weeks left in the place I’ve called home for the last two and a half months, it’s hard not to focus on the change that is to come. New city, new people, new job. I’ve yet again fallen in love with a place that was only meant to be temporary.
Butterflies signify the beauty of rebirth and change, just as I will do as I hop from city to city for the next year. It reminded me today that no matter the sadness that comes with leaving people and a place, there is hope and goodness waiting in the future.
This little guy spent minutes just sitting on my page. As much as I may have needed to turn it to continue reading, I didn’t want to disturb the butterfly- so instead, I’d wait. This butterfly reminded me to slow down, to find peace in the moments of nothingness. Did I need to rush to turn my page? No. The book would still be there, the words on the page wouldn’t disappear. Having patience and taking time to just sit and observe the world around us is so necessary and grounding.
So, the next time you’re in a rush and things just don’t seem to be going your way, just remember this butterfly. In the smallest things there’s beauty if we allow ourselves to see it.
