butterflies with flowers
I love to watch hummingbirds and butterflies. In Arizona, hummingbirds are ever-present. If you plant your garden right, you will get hummingbirds throughout the year; and butterflies abound (but not year round). Hans Christian Andersen wrote “Just living is not enough,” said the butterfly. “One must have sunshine, freedom and a little flower.”
I know, talking butterflies seem a bit far-fetched. But of course, Hans Christian Andersen did write fiction. But works of fiction can be metaphors for life, can’t they? We literally need sunshine, of course, so things can grow. But we also need another kind of sunshine: love, life-affirming people and moments, God. We need the freedom to choose those loving life-affirming things.
We, like the dear hummingbird, need sustenance.
And the flower—of course we (like the butterfly and the hummingbird) need the nectar to have the strength to continue to fly. These are the things in my life that are the sunshine and the nectar: my faith in God; my loving husband and my son; all of my other relatives that shower me with love; my friends that accept me and have my back. My friends and relatives that cheer me on and believe in me are the nectar most definitely. They give me strength to withstand the life-negating moments [as opposed to life-affirming moments}. After all, each of us is blessed with moments and people that re-charge our draining batteries. They counteract the circumstances and people that drain our batteries.
As time goes on for me, I appreciate more and more the real GIFT of friendship. I am humbled and buoyed by the love and support of friends. Thanks to the blogosphere I have been given new friends. I feel as though I have known some of you forever already. Lucy Montgomery was right when she spoke through Anne Shirley. Kindred spirits make life deep, rich, and beautiful.
I am grateful for the gift that people give to me when they read my blog. It warms my heart that people take time out of their busy lives to read what I write. I am grateful, too that the bloggers I know unselfishly pass along their knowledge, wisdom, experience, words, and photographs in their blogs. You teach me and uphold me with your blogs. You make me want to be a better woman. For that, and so much else, I thank you.
the love that surrounds is like the stars. They guide my ship.
Believe Anyway 
Awwww my Katie Girl, what a beautiful expression! I adore the analogy between butterfly speak and we species called human.
Really lovely thoughts. Hope if I use this sometime I remember to refer back to this blog post. Because it makes so much sense I am certain I will. Thank you and sweetie you are most welcome. You bring such a wonderfully calming spirit to the blogging community and I count you twice now when I count my blessings. I missed friends such as you when I was unable to use my laptop.
Keep up the awesome postings Dear lady, we need spirited people like you to bless our world.
By the way. I did find this and was not sure if you had too.
Contact
Stephanie Kennedy
ButYouDontLookSick.com
910-551-7593
Email
Blessings & Peace<
B.B. sweet lady–thanks so much. you are the best <3. I missed you while you were away from your blog. I loved hearing about the concert—and you warm my heart with each kind and life affirming thing you say in your blog and in your comments on my blog and others’ blogs. Isn’t it a wonderful miracle that community can be built like this? Blogs Across the World—mmmm so lovely.
Heartfelt words from a kind and thankful soul. It is my pleasure to read your posts.
Thanks LeRoy, you are so sweet to say that….I have hesitated to comment and click on your posts lately so as not to overburden you…i write as much as i talk 😉
Beautiful post Kate, I had not heard the butterfly speak before……NOW see why I read your blog. Till next time!
Terri–you are so good to me. Til next time (my place or yourss…;-) )
Yes, the butterflies DO speak to us. I love to watch the ones that gather in our yard all summer. We have a butterfly bush and other flowering plants that really attract them and they are so beautiful to watch. Just like our blogging buddies!
i need to plant more flowers and flowering bushes so we get more butterflies and hummingbirds.
Great Post Kate. I enjoy your writing so much and enjoy the friendship we share as well. Great analogy on the butterfly. Be Blessed Sis, You are doing kingdom work!
Mike
thank you, dear brother in Christ—your words and prayers uplift me, too…and all who read your words. Do continue to let our dear Lord work through your heart. All is well.
“You teach me and uphold me with your blogs. You make me want to be a better woman. For that, and so much else, I thank you.”
And I thank you for gifting me these gifts. ♥
Thank you, Mary 🙂
Of course we would take time out to read your wonderful blog!
I feel the same way about your blog, Gilly 🙂
Well Kate, (my responses are slow aren’t they) 🙂 any place is good…….your blog or mine will do…….it always makes my day better to read Believe Anyway!
I always come away from reading your blog feeling terrific, too , Terri 🙂
It may LOOK like I don’t read your blog, but I’m just quite late, from time to time. Always read every word, Friend! And love every word.my matching bookend! 🙂
Thanks, Katharine…I changed how my blog handles comments—but now i don’t always get notified that i have comments. so i end up being late in responding….i may have to go back to the old way so as not to neglect comments…..I treasure yours too, cousin, sister, twin, friend. ❤