Touched By A Butterfly

Written By Don Shetterly

There I was, struggling with all that life had thrown at me that day. I had been triggered, derailed and was struggling to come up for air.  Yet, in the midst of all the turmoil, I was touched by a butterfly.  That moment did so much for me.

I was at the butterfly exhibition located at UCF in Gainesville.  While there were many butterflies flying around, there were also a lot of people.  It was very crowded.

Most of the time, you need to stand real still for a butterfly to land on you.  I think they sense your energy and stillness which determines if they land on your or not.  Because of all the activity, they were not landing on many people.

As I stood there trying to dodge people walking by, I noticed a beautiful orange butterfly land on my foot.  For a moment, he just hung out there.  So, I stood there as still as I could while enjoying the moment.  I had my phone on record.

As I stood there, the butterfly began to make his way up my leg.  I was not about to move as I was enjoying the experience.  The more I stood still, the higher he climbed.  He then got to my waistline near my shirt and stopped.

I was afraid to move for fear I would scare him away.  Butterflies mean so much to me and I did not want to interrupt what was happening.

Even with all the people milling about, he continued to stay attached to my upper leg.  He was not going anywhere.  I did not want him to leave.

So as I continued to take pictures around me and move around ever so gently, he hung on to my clothes.  For the better part of an hour, he stayed right there with me, never leaving or moving.  I got more comfortable and started walking around the exhibit more, but he stayed with me.

Finally, when it was getting late and I was ready to leave, I had one of the workers lift him from me.  The orange butterfly was so calm and relaxed.  It really struck me as odd that he did not want me to leave and I didn't want him to leave either.

Through the difficult moments I was experiencing, this little butterfly touched me deeply.  It was almost as if he was there letting me know that I was special to him.  He impacted my heart in a way that got through the pain.

I'll never forget the butterfly.  I love the creatures so much, but this one definitely stole my heart.  Realizing that they only live for a short time and what they go through to be born, I'm in awe of what he meant to me.

Sometimes in our deepest darkest moments of hurt, it is the little things that touch us the most.  These are the things that can reach through the pain and help us find a moment of support.  Yes, nature is one of the greatest gifts in life I believe.

Here's a little video of the butterfly (on my Instagram account) crawling up and hanging out with me.  Seeing the video brings tears to my eyes.  I know, you had to be there to experience it firsthand, but hopefully, my little story will help remind you of something important.  If you're down and hurting, connect with nature.  Nature has a way of healing our soul and our pain.

My life was forever changed that day when I was touched by a butterfly.

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Blog Post And Images (c) 1/1/18 by Don Shetterly

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The Caterpillar And The Butterfly

The day was like any other day.   The birds were chirping and soaring through the bright blue sky.  The little caterpillar was slowly trudging along the ground through the bright green grass.  The sun was shining down warmth upon the earth.

The little caterpillar noticed the beautiful butterflies flying here and there through the flowers and vegetation.  They seemed to go at ease and have no cares in this world.  "It wasn't like they needed to worry about getting stepped on like I do" the caterpillar thought to himself.

Finally after watching this for a significant part of the day, the caterpillar called out to the beautiful orange butterfly circling around.  "How do you soar and fly like that? he asked.  "Do what?" she asked.

The caterpillar cleared his throat and amplified his voice asking one more time, "How do you soar like that?"

The butterfly responded, "It is actually very easy, but you must first become a butterfly to fly like we do."

Perplexed, the caterpillar said, "I would like to become a butterfly.  I will do anything to fly like you do and enjoy a world far above my view.  Do I just make an affirmation and believe it is so?"

The butterfly explained to the caterpillar exactly what she meant.  She explained that he would have to surrender his existence into a cocoon and leave all that he knows.  He would completely transform from the shape and form he was now, into a butterfly.  Once he did this, he would not resemble anything that he is today and he would not be able to go back to this life that is his.

The caterpillar was confused.  How could he transform into something that he was not, and he wondered if it would be painful.  What would happen if he surrendered into this new form to become a butterfly?  All he had known was the life that he now lived crawling around on the ground.

The butterfly went on to explain that even though the change may seem difficult and confusing and it may not make complete sense, it is the only way for a caterpillar to become a butterfly.  It is a marvelous transformation, but the only way to find out is to surrender and let go of the life that you know.  It doesn't happen overnight, but takes some time to complete.

We are much like the butterfly and the caterpillar.  Until we surrender to all that life holds for us, we will not transform into that which we are meant to be.  We will remain a caterpillar crawling on the ground, wondering what the butterfly sees.  Yes, the transformation may not be easy. We will need to lose our self in the process so that we can discover who we truly are.


Check the following website out if you want to know more about how a caterpillar transforms and evolves.  How Caterpillar Gruesomely Turn Into Butterflies.

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Blog Post And Images (c) 1/7/16 by Don Shetterly

• Permission required before any part of this blog post is reprinted, reworded or used in any form. 
• You are welcomed to share the LINK to this blog post.  

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