Butterflies

Have you ever witnessed something in nature that makes you think there's a deeper meaning to it?

In this blog, I'll explore my experience with seeing butterflies out in the world when I'm with my puppy girl.

A few weeks after I got my puppy (Olive), I started noticing butterflies fluttering around when she was nearby. Since then, I've continued to see butterflies here and there when I'm with her.

First Impressions

I've heard some people say that they've witnessed things in nature and immediately know a loved one is with them. Like a beautiful rainbow, or a colorful sunset.

That had never happened to me—until winter/spring 2024, when my Olive girl puppy came into my life.

I was taking her on a walk, and we were headed down the walkway to the stairwell at my complex. She stopped to look down the stairs as she typically does, and all of a sudden, a beautiful monarch butterfly was fluttering around her. I thought, "oh, how pretty, a butterfly." It gave me pause.

My intuition told me that Olive brought the butterfly. That she attracted the beauty, and reminded me that life is beautiful.

Butterflies All Around

Since then (for the past year and a half), I've seen butterflies appear all around. Not just at my condo complex, but at the park, in other neighborhoods, out on a walk. Usually when I least expect it, they appear. And it's always when I'm with her.

I even started noticing them in different forms out and about; like in murals and street art. Who knew butterflies were so prevalent? (Not me apparently.)

What Does it Mean?

So, what does it mean to see butterflies? Maybe they've always been there but now I'm more awake in the world and notice them now? Or maybe they're a reflection of Olive's beautiful spirit and will always make me think of her when I see one? Or maybe it's the universe's way of saying, I see you, life is beautiful, go ahead and notice the beauty too.

Or all of the above?

I hadn't really sat down to contemplate this further until I started writing this article. In an article by the BBC that explored the meaning of butterflies, one viewpoint, as written by Matthew Wilson is: "Butterflies aren't just living symbols of the precariousness of nature and beauty, however. It is also possible to understand them as icons of hope, and the ability to adapt in a fast-changing world."

I'm not sure the exact meaning behind them, but it's certainly a beautiful highlight to any day to see a butterfly fluttering nearby.

And it's certainly fun to share this little glimmer of life with you. It brings forth the fact that beauty does exist in everyday life—if you notice it.