Hospice had told us on Saturday that DH could go any minute or last a few days. Since last Saturday, we had not left DH's nursing home. When the nurses asked my 2 daughters and I to step out while they got him ready for the funeral home, we went outside. On a pot of purple flowers located a few steps from the front door was a single Monarch butterfly. There were several people outside at that time but the butterfly would only fly around me and my two daughters. I started smiling and shouting, "He is free!" while the Monarch flew around our heads, around the flowers, up around the lower branches of a tree and back down around us.
I had to share this wonderful event with this web family. The nightmare that had started the day after Memorial weekend has finally come to an end. I have felt almost giddy after experiencing the butterfly struggling against a slight breeze to stay around me and our daughters.
People are trying to comfort a grieving widow and finding instead a smiling woman sharing her butterfly story. I requested both of my daughters to take pictures with their phones so I would have proof in the morning that it had not been a dream.
Saturday, September 21st at 2:00 p.m., family and friends will gather to Celebrate Dan's Life. The slide show's last picture will be of the Monarch.
What a wonderful blessing, for Dan and for you. My prayers are that God continues to grant you peace and a life time of happiness and butterfiles. What a beautiful gift from Dan.
May you always cherish the thoughts when you see a butterfly. indeed these occurances are something we can not explain. I also chose to find the beauty in such. may you and your family find peace and comfort in the days ahead. divvi
I am in tears, such a beautiful story. Glad you have a picture of the butterfly. You and your family will be in my thoughts and prayers. And may your heart find peace.
Tears of gratitude and peace and love to you for sharing this OKRose, what an inspiration you are. Many many blessings to you and your family, and that monarch was a gift from the heavens and angels, I believe.
What a beautiful experience to have at your time of loss. What a gift to be able to focus on the fact that your DH is free from this awful disease. Thank you for sharing that :)
Remember Paul Harvey saying "and now for the rest of the story". My daughter and I went back to the NH about 2 1/2 hrs later to pack up Dan's room. The Monarch was waiting on the same pot of flowers and flew around us again. When we came out with our first load of things, the Monarch was gone.
I found out on Tuesday night that butterflies are a symbol used by the Alzheimer's Association and that made seeing the one lone butterfly even more meaningful to me. I forgot to mention that the pot contained only purple flowers which is also the color for the Association. Other pots contained other colors.
My family and I are planning to wear purple shirts with Alzheimer's World Action Day Sept 21st and butterflies printed on them during the Celebration of Dan's Life. My youngest daughter knew that Sept 21st was an Alzheimer's Association important day when we were discussing the Celebration plans and it worked out perfect that it was on a Saturday. She said that Action Day was always the 21st so by not putting the year on the shirts, we could wear the shirts every year. Dan settled the discussion of the time for the Celebration; he was freed at 2:10.
I appreciate all of your sweet cyber hugs and prayers for me and my family. The whole Alzheimer's Disease has hard but the last 5 days were filled with so much pain and suffering for Dan that I am so happy that he is as free from all of that as the butterfly flying around us yesterday.
I am so happy that your DH slipped away so nicely and left the butterfly to let you know he was still about in a spiritual way. I do agree it is an odd thing when finally our LO slips out of the grip of ALZ one way or another ( it was 11 Aug mine was freeded) we who realize how far our LO could go or did go and now WE know they are at peace but others cannot put that together. They think we are strong...we are but we have been in grief far longer than they realize.
I wish you rest and peace and a day with more butterflies the day of your DH's celebration of a life well lived.
What a beautiful story! I am sorry for your loss, but thank God your husband has been released! May you and your daughters have this peace, comfort and joy knowing he is now free.
Beautiful that you have been able to put it all into perspective. :-)
From one ALZ widow to another this may be the end your ALZ care, but it may be just the beginning of your ALZ activism. Strange how things work out for us all.
Tears are running down my face due to your beautiful story. My thoughts and prayers are with you and yours. It made me think of the words " he sends you his love, on the wings of a dove." In this case, it was the wings of a Monarch butterfly. How wonderful.
Thank you for sharing your blessing with us. There is a culture (First Nations?) that believe that this is a sign of the departed spirit. I remember when my mother died that for a day or two white moths would appear at the window, and I took this as a sign that she was still nearby. My prayers and love are with you.
A beautiful story, made even more significant when you consider that in many areas, such as ours, Monarchs have essentially disappeared. I haven't seen one in years, and they used to be in swarms in our garden.
I am sorry for the loss of your beloved Dan. I loved your butterfly story! I had an experience at my Dad's service with a yellow butterfly that forever changed my beliefs. I am glad you had this magical moment to help ease the pain and bring your comfort ((hugs))
I too was visited by many butterflies for the days after my DH died. God definitely sends "god winks" to us - you just have to know where to look and believe in them.
Similar thing happened to me. The night my husband died, our daughter dreamed of butterflies. The next day when we were choosing a cemetery plot, a yellow butterfly followed us from plot to plot....in December. When we returned home after the funeral, there in the yard...was a yellow butterfly. Now, three years later, we feel comforted whenever we see a butterfly, especially a yellow one. So sorry for your loss, OKrose. Love your wonderful butterfly experience....thanks for sharing.
OKrose, I'm sorry for your loss, but so glad for your butterflies. It's such a blessing to have such things happen to give us the Peace that everything is as it must be and all really is going to be okay.
I had the same thing happen! My DH had pneumonia and the day he died there was a dove sitting in the road as I was driving to the nursing home. I thought "I think Terry is going to die today." Then after he died I had a butterfly experience too. So comforting. I wish you the best.
Saturday, September 21st, was a beautiful, cool day in southwest Oklahoma. A large group of family and friends gathered together on that perfect day to Celebrate Dan’s Life.
The family wore purple shirts with Alzheimer’s World Action Day September 21st printed on the front or Alzheimer’s Association purple bracelets. Friends that knew the family were wearing purple also wore purple clothes.
Our daughters did an excellent job of selecting photos that represented their dad’s life’s activities and making the slide show with music. The slides ended with a quote of Richard Bach, “What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the Master calls butterfly.” and the 9-11-13 photo of the butterfly on the purple flowers.
We provided purple Alzheimer’s Association silk ties for the two men who conducted the celebration. Both had known Dan for many years and had their personal memories to include. It was an informal atmosphere that reflected the laid back manner of Dan.
Since the grandchildren are so young, our daughters wanted a way for them to know their Granddad. They printed cards with a place for persons attending to sign their name, relationship to Dan, and a favorite memory of Dan. We also are printing the memories that were posted online. The shared memories are priceless to our family.
Again, thank you for sharing your knowledge and freely giving your support and hugs.