Love Is Like a Butterfly

My husband and I went swimming at Bald Eagle State Park, and then stopped for hoagies on our way home. They were out of hoagies, but promised to make us a pair, fresh. My husband turned off the car. "Why don't you go for a little walk," he suggested.

So I grabbed my camera and walked along a field of teasel and wild flowers. It wasn't long before I spotted this gorgeous male black swallowtail butterfly (Papilio polyxenes), flitting from teasel to teasel.

This day is a special day. It is the second anniversary of my oldest sister Barb's celestial birthday. The Butterfly Girl. Also known as: the Barefoot Girl It was the day she donned her own angel wings and flew away to Heaven. Jesus has her safe in his arms now, but oh how we miss her down here!

I thought about being sad all day because I miss her so much. But I knew that I must choose something else: I must decide to be happy (like we were when we were together), and to honor her and celebrate the very best of what she represented in my life.

I knew somehow that my sister had sent me this fancy butterfly on this special day. And so when I saw it, I photographed it as beautifully as I could. And I smiled in my heart of hearts, and said, as I always do: "Hello, sister! Love you and miss you! Love you to the moon . . . and back."

It is my custom to include a soundtrack song. But today, I have two that I want. First has to be Dolly Parton, of course, with Love Is Like a Butterfly. The second one is Martina McBride, with Safe in the Arms of Love.