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The Painful Grace of Flight ~Mary Austin
I thought the following was appropriate for sharing, explaining my title and a good opening for my new journal.
The Painful Grace of Flight: A Memorial Service Meditation by Mary Austin
Many cultures believe that butterflies travel between the spirit world and the earth, connecting people with the divine realm. A Native American legend says, "if you have a secret wish, whisper it to a butterfly. since butterflies cannot speack, the wish is safe, and the butterfly will carry the wish to the Great Spirit."
The ancient Greeks believed that butterflies were souls, released from their bodies. In fact, ancient Greek uses the same word - psyche - for both soul and butterfly, so close is the connection between the two. Early Christians also used the butterfly as a symbol for the soul, and other cultures believed that the spirits of the dead took the form of butterflies. Some have said that the soul-butterflys' ability to leave the body while we sleep explains where our dreams come from.
It may be, as summer comes, that watching a butterfly in flight will remind you of your loved one...remembering their travel from this life to whatever comes next, when we're set free from illness and pain.
It seems that you as caregiver are also like the butterfly. As a caregiver, you are transformed. You grow...change over the time of your loved one's illness...learn to do things you never expected you could do. You grow from being a hesitant caregiver to someone able to journey with your loved one until they are set free from the struggles of this life.
When you grieve for a loved one, you are again like the butterfly. Grief can be like the dark of the chrysalis, or the cocoon. Some scientists call this phase of the butterflys' life the resting phase, and it may be that your grief is a time of resting from the demands of life. You're wrapped up in sorrow and pain...until you begin to stretch, and move...and then the cocoon expands. You emerge from sorrow into the light of day, and realize that you're not the person you used to be. For better or worse, you're someone new, changed by your love and loss. Grief has altered your perspective, changed your view of yourself and the world. Like the butterfly, you've come out transformed...or perhaps, for you, waiting, longing for the release into being a butterfly. Such struggles are not easy.
Continued above...
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MS. GLORIA , THIS JOURNAL SAYS SO MUCH WITH MANY TRUTHS . YOUR OTHER JOURNAL GAVE ME STRENGTH AT THE MOST TROUBLESOME TIME IN MY LIFE WHEN I HAD LOST MY SON . YOULL NEVER KNOW THE MANY LIVES YOU MAY HAVE TOUCHED AND HELPED . THANKS . MAY GOD BLESS YOU ALWAYS .
BBUBBIE1212@AOL.COM -
This is Beautiful!!! Thank You For Sharing... AngelKeith's Mom; Donna Lynn This was very Up Lifting To Me Also Thank You
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Very beautiful. Life at it best lets us touch the sky. When we're struggling through a particular phase of life we doubt we'll ever touch it again. Butterflies remind me of the freedom that will be mine one day. Love this new journal. It's a keeper, my friend. Bless you. (((YOU)))) from Barb
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Beautiful Gloria and so very true sadly for all of us. So many different views of what we are going through yet sadly enough it all comes down to we all are struggling each day. Thank you for sharing. Peace, Nancy
8/27/04 11:07 PM
In my case as caregiver spouse for my wife disabled with MS for 18 years whose progression finally led to the 24/7 care facility era this past Spring.
Certainly a different passage yet we both were drawn toward the same concept of the chrysalis. Must be some universal peace in the hope.
(a crack in the chysalis) http://journals.aol.com/daddy
Patrick / daddyleer@aol.com