Today is my Mother's birthday and I want to tell you a story.
We were hiking in Australia in November a few years back. It was hot and hard. I had made it to the top of this long hill climb and was coming down. Everyone was leaving me in the dust and I was mad at all of them. I saw a pile of timber and sat down to fume. The view was startling, hills and mountains rolling in the distance. Immediately, I became aware of a small white butterfly darting around my head, my body, just there the whole time. Don't they usually fly off sooner or later ?
What was happening was so unusual that I took a picture of the scene to remember later. This is how it felt : like a kindly visit, "everyone else has gone but I am with you." I can't explain it any other way. That's why I had to take that picture. My mood changed and I got up and wandered back to the farm.
Several months later, I was in church when a young man came up to me. I had seen him before but didn't know him. He started with this: were you and your Mother close? Backing up slightly at this intrusion, I said that we had been. Then he asked if I had had an encounter with a butterfly recently. Immediately I knew. He said " I just want you to know that this was your Mom being with you, accompanying you as you go." It all came together and I knew it was true.
So Mom on your birthday I have prayed that you are enclosed in God's love and I want to thank you for always being there, always.
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