The Gift of a Beautiful Butterfly
Hey my fellow souls! My new book is live - Many Lives, One Soul: My Journey to Becoming Whole
The Gift of a Beautiful Butterfly
Marc Tagliaferri
June 11, 2023
what we will call, Channel Seven. I used to watch many shows on channel 9, 11, and 13 from time to time. With that being said, I was resting, watching this guy do his thing. He came outside, minding his own and deep in thought on many subjects. He was working on a project that is pretty interesting. It was the same project as before, I guess you could say, but with more info and a new strategy unveiling itself. As he made his way outside to take care of one of his responsibilities, he ended up on foot walking around the area picking up trash off the ground at his workplace. He took a moment to enjoy the breeze and feel the sun. The birds of many kinds were singing all around the area.
It was around 830 am, before his break, when this all took place. He gathered himself in thought and looked around. He could see the birds he fed by his truck as he worried about them. One had just previously taken out the electricity to the plant for some time. That caused a friend to say to Marc, “Your bird has made my day hell”. Marc only smiled, “Nah, bro. It wasn’t that it made your day hell, its soul was the sacrifice to show everyone why you are the man. Without you, we have no plant. I didn’t see anyone else fixing it. So brother it was a test from father to which you kicked some ass.” He laughed and so did Marc.
That was growth for them as they have had their times together like two swordsmen that would meet at a river and have a clash. Then they would sit and break bread, speaking of what the other had learned. Sometimes that can become blurred by things around. I will say that demons hide in temples, as we can not always be strong. I believe it is the effort that will correct oneself, It is hard for sure but worth the fight in growth.
Back to what I was watching, there he was just working as his boss had passed by, directing other men in his department on things he wanted or needed done. He watched, then chose to move on with his work. For what ever reason, he looked down. When he did, he couldn’t believe his eyes.
There was a monarch butterfly with its wings all spread out, within inches off his boot. It was almost killed it. Looking at it, a huge smile came across his face. Earlier in the week between now and the bird incident, the same guy had a white butterfly land on him outside when he was sorting skids in the afternoon. When it happened, he walked into the plant, to one of the “pillars”, as he calls them, and asked him to take a picture of it on his arms. It was cool and who would believe it anyway.
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.
"Stay blessed, stay true to yourself, and always remember, you’re never alone on this incredible journey. Wishing you an abundance of peace, love, and an overflow of good vibes until our paths cross again. Thanks for being a part of this adventure with me. Until next time, Deuces!"