A Butterfly's Lesson

Child and a Butterfly

Occasionally, we are given a serendipitous gift.  Life puts a simple event in our hands and, if we recognize it as such, we can use it to teach a valuable lesson. Sometimes, even one of the biggest lessons can come from one of the smallest, most beautiful things in nature.

The important thing is, when we're given a special chance to teach our children, to see and feel it with our hearts.


A Butterfly's Lesson
by CJ Heck

"Oh Mama look, a flutterby!"
(her tiny hand held it out to me)
She grasped it firmly in her fist,
afraid to set it free.

Lovingly I showed her
one of life's most painful tests ...
sometimes the ones we love the most
we hurt more than the rest.

The butterfly was still alive,
although its wings were bent
this tiny miracle of grace,
its rainbow all but spent.

The magic dust was there to see.
Tears welled up in her eyes.
I hugged her to me and explained
that real love never dies.

We spoke that day of letting go,
of holding love less tightly.
To hold it gently in our hearts
shows love much more, when lightly.

That day when she was very small,
we more than mourned a butterfly.
We shared a magic, tender moment.
I'll always thank the flutterby.


"A writer soon learns that easy to read is hard to write." ~CJ Heck