The other day I was watching a show on.......

The butterfly did stay, and he got the picture in his bay, and he made his way to the dock area and placed it by the dock door and prayed. He had no clue what it meant but thought it was cool to get a picture with the butterfly and to have the story to share. In his mind, it had to be a gift from the elements, and our Father. He went home and told his family about it, and then thought nothing more of it, like it was just a sign to keep pushing, keep trying to grow and do what we think we should do. 

Now there was this butterfly, and he never knew what happened to that one. So in thought, he placed his hand to the road to try to help the butterfly that we will call “Gift”. As Gift walked onto his hands, he couldn’t believe it was happening again. So he reached into his pocket to grab his cell phone to take a picture or two before it flew away, as they always do. I mean, I did catch them in jars as a kid in the city, but that is a sad story of an angry boy. There he was as Gift walked all over his fingers and up his arm. He tried to put in the tree, to place it somewhere to be safe. Like really, who wants to be eaten, right? I mean, you could tell Gift was hurt or slowed by something. He thought Gift was going to die soon and that maybe that’s why he came to him. 

As he collects gifts from life, he places them in his village of our town and his life he has made. With that thought, “longfoot” would not leave his mind, so the plan became to have it or at least make it safe before it dies. Then to keep it to honor its life and the gift to him. As he began to make the move, his boss was standing by, not too far away. “Hey bro, those are endangered or close to it. It is neat that it landed on you, be careful.” They smiled and walked on. Turning towards him, he spoke “Thanks boss” and off they both went. 

Running inside the factory as he needed to get back to work, but he needed something to get Gift to safety, fast. He looked a little lost as he tried to push life and do both things. In doing so, a guy ran into him and saw what was going on. He tried to make a funny comment to him as he was looking. Yet when the comment hit him, it threw his soul off a little. By no means was it bad however one could twist it in his head as no one is always perfect. The demons just wait for that right moment. The right second to get you. We always say to stay sharp and smart. Yet that is impossible. He kept moving as there was no time to think, he has goals. 

After Gift was in a bucket with plant life and the trailers were done. He was ready to move back to trash when that comment began to twist in his head. What did he mean? Did he call me stupid, or was he playing? No worries, let it go, just work. That was his thoughts. And then two weak souls crossed each other’s paths. They are both strong in the fight of faith yet one moment can change anything. No one is perfect. It is whether can they find the lesson, and they both did, minutes after the conversation ended. He spoke of what he heard in passing, guess it had been going on for months. They spoke of how bad the other man wanted to break him down in a form that was not his, but he was planning on using it. 

And just like that, a simple thought of maybe or maybe not became he was calling the guy stupid. There he was again in the corner where no man will put him again. I can still feel the fear of the gun to my face and the power to stand my ground in the doorway as my oldest son watched in an upstairs window. What if he had split my head like a watermelon, then what? I guess he planned for a month on how he was going to kill me and possibly my whole family. Now what would be something so simple and great had turned in his head. 

Speaking back towards the man, he said, “There is nothing good happening right now. The demons are all around us, we need to be quiet.” Yet none of it was where he wanted to be. He was having a great day as the gift felt so great. The day was rolling, just work. Yet nothing is ever perfect. So when would this man learn how to control his thoughts, his actions, and decisions. And to grow and show the pillars and others that have had faith. To show them all that he is that man to stand in his ashes and say, “Ya, I fucked up. Yet, I will grow. I will learn, and I promise there is more to come. Growth is when you stand, learn, and show action.”

As the day came to a close, his thoughts to everything was truthfully a mess. There was no way  he was going to express this, as sadness rained more than anything. Until he walked out a door, his boss stopped him in and spoke. When he spoke it hit our soul as strong when J.D. said “I have a job for you” or when a nice strong lady spoke once and said “Ya Marc I looked up your stuff you are not lying about your family or how far you fell before your effort to change.” And now there would be a guy he likes to call Mr. Tunstall, as I am sort of a renegade.                 

It really hit him later that night when he was talking with his family about the day and teaching them what he had learned. Well, he couldn’t get Mr.Tunstall out of his head. What a gift of words from a man growing just as he was. His words allowed the man to stop and look around at the big picture not the paint spilled. He gave the gift of time to a man in need that allowed him to change his twisted thoughts. He spoke with care and compassion. He was so thankful for the words from Mr. Tunstall.

He took the butterfly home with him that day and played with his family, even the dog. His daughter learned from school they like oranges, he gave it an orange slice and watched it eat. There were so many gifts that day, but the one really stood out to him. His words were simple, “Marc, don’t talk. I want to tell you something. Go home and look up what it means when a Monarch butterfly visits you. And whatever you are doing, continue to do so, man. Good luck, have a great night.” He did look up what it meant that night.

Gift stayed with Marc for thirty-six hours. After coming home from work the next day, he opened up the room Gift was in. Gift climbed back into his hands and he went outside. He looked down at Gift and thanked it for being so kind and warm. He turned his head to see the birds on the feeders, then looked back at Gift. He said, “Bro, thank you. Bless you, but don’t you have better things to then hang out with me?” With that being said, Gift flew away, nothing like the day before when it would not even fly. 

What he found out in his research of the butterflies. White butterflies represent purity and spiritual transformation. The monarch butterfly is considered a symbol of spiritual growth and transcendence. Its transformation from a crawling caterpillar to a beautiful butterfly is seen as a metaphor for the human soul’s journey toward spiritual enlightenment.

Thank you for your time. Peace.