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Liftoff

Tuesday, November 11, 2008


It is afternoon now. I have let the butterfly rest and drop its orange liquid waste on my kitchen table for four hours. I want it to be outside when it takes its first flight, which I sense is coming very soon. I wish no indignity for this one, such as the one who hatched before had suffered. That one dropped out of its chrysalis and stretched its wings quietly in the kitchen, I working in another room, unaware...and when I came in for lunch it set sail and clambered against a window, struggling toward freedom. I had to carry it, flailing and doubtless shouting in a voice too high to hear, to the clear September air outside.

For this one, this special butterfly at whose side I've held such a long vigil, I creep softly, holding the creature aloft on its twig, hoping that it won't lift off before we get outside.
It snaps its new wings open and shut, a butterfly's signal of arrival and power, and clambers higher on its twig.
Wait... don't go yet.
I'm not ready for you to leave.

Swinging around wildly, I click and click, capturing a few frames, amazingly enough. Have you ever tried to photograph a flying butterfly
When you are crying
When your breath is taken from your lungs

When you are engulfed in grace?

25 comments:

This is magical, Jules. Just magical.

This describes perfectly how I as a mom feel with one just graduated from college and another in his senior year of college. Torn between wanting them to fly high and free and wanting a few more hours with them before they go.

I have not.

But I think I have some sense of how you felt, being unexpectedly moved to tears this summer when we saved a mourning cloak and then watched it regain its strength on the wing and fly into a a sky as blue as it was.

Grace, indeed.

"engulfed in grace"

Perfectly said.

Heartbreakingly lovely.

This has been a marvelous series. Thank you for allowing us to share in this magic.

Your series has been magical, inspiring and brings tears. Godspeed, delicate friend.

Godspeed, Combo!

I'll bet the kids loved seeing the pictures when they came home. Thanks for sharing him with all of us.

Beautiful, Julie. Both your emotion and your description. A magical series.

You nurture and care for them for so long...in a few minutes they are gone from your kitchen and the breath has left your lungs enough to say anything at all. You struggle for that last image... never forgotten.

Reminds me of letting go of our kids.

Hanky in hand, Julie :o)

Thanks for the magic!

headed off from Zick's palm to a Mexican hillside to join 10's of thousands of other miracles...

Was the monarch's 1st flight on the 5th?
That was the day our first grandchild was born as well...amazing, amazing thing new life is.
Thank you for the images, I will send them to my daughter, the new mom.

Long life Erik and Monarch.

Caroline in South Dakota

Thank you for each day's installment of the magical butterfly saga...

I had tears in my eyes just reading the last one.

Amazing.

You are so great to read. I love it.

That post gave me goosebumps! What a way to start the day - thank you :-)

What a great analogy island rider. What a gift indeed to be able to witness this through your eyes and words Julie. Thank you.

Caroline! What joy! I don't think Combo and Eric flew the same day, but I envy you your baby grandson. In no rush, mind you, but Phoebe and I talk about it...for now, we poach off our friends' babies.Congratulations!

At the risk of sounding like a pathetic dweeb, if you all like these posts so much, could someone stumble them? I guess it would be even more pathetic to stumble it myself. Pride prevents.

More readers: good.

Thanks,

Julie

Freedom against a blue backdrop.
A butterfly's life, the fleeting moment of departure, captured.
Wonderfully.

I think there is nothing more powerful than to witness the essence of a being.
A butterfly--being.

We raise monarchs at our park in the summer. Some stick around and feed a little and some take off like yours. Looks like a beautiful female. Always wonder if they make it to Mexico. Such an amazing journey!

I am not up on all the lingo. What does it mean to "stumble" your post?

I don't understand the "stumble" stuff, either, or I would...

Julie, you are fantastic.

Thank you for sharing this miracle with us - very touching, indeed. It has been soooo well worth the wait to see the final installments of this series.

If you love Zick's butterfly blog, read her book Letters from Eden. She get it completely.

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