In my family, we hold a mystical and supernatural belief that my maternal grandmother reincarnated as a monarch butterfly. Before she passed away nearly 15 years ago, my mom asked my grandma (between her drifts in and out of consciousness) to appear to her as a butterfly in her garden as a sign that she had experienced a peaceful passing yet was still nearby. A year or two after Grandma’s death, I woke one morning and wandered into the kitchen to find my mom joyously tearful. She explained that this was Grandma’s birthday and the night before she had prayed for a sign. “And there is this butterfly in my garden that just won’t fly away!” Sure enough, I went outside and saw a monarch butterfly fluttering about in her garden – remaining so still at times that you could touch it. We found the appearance of a monarch butterfly to be all the more convincing as my grandma had beautiful red hair! There have been many other Grandma sightings over the years during significant times in our family’s history. This photo was taken during a trip my Mom, sister and I took to Costa Rica where Grandma joined us for a visit.
Gaia, or Mother Earth, is always reaching out to create connection…through subtle breezes to calm the mind or with inviting fragrances that remind us to stop and smell the roses. While we all have different experiences of Mothering or being Mothered, stories of love, sacrifice, grief and healing are universal. At this time of honoring those people in our lives who nurture us, inspire us, feed us good food and empowering words – let us also remember and honor our dear Mother Earth who waters the same seeds she plants and support us all in growing in harmony with Nature.
