Art by David PenfoundThe event took place at a friends house. It was near the end of the day and we were hot and tired. I only had one table of things left from my ongoing deboning * process. These consisted of some of the objects that I had a hard time letting go of. I should explain that I have been cleaning out my parents home the past many years, having garage sales every year. My parents lived through a war and a depression, and were farmers to boot. So they never threw ANYTHING out! My Dad passed over in 2004 and my Mom followed last November, 2008.
Having dealt with all their stuff, I was now in the process of letting go of things that I had accumulated. Being of the Butterfly Clan, I tend to merge with others, so I also became a pack rat over the years.
I plan to travel for awhile and need to let go of anything I can't take with me. I had a waking dream experience telling me to not leave anything behind. Us Butterflies need to travel light. But I have become attached to some of my "Totemic" objects, like my many butterflies. They were the kind you can attach anywhere, having clips on them, and were made out of sparkling fabric . I had about five of them on the table.
The other thing about garage sales is that you get to say yes or no to people. One lady wanted the Butterflies, but didn't want to pay what I was asking. I thought to myself, "She does not value them". It was not about the objects themselves, but the fact that Butterfly is my Clan, and I wanted someone who really loved them the way I did. So I said no.
Later in the day, I saw an Elderly lady wearing a red blouse with butterflies all over it. She was looking at the Butterflies and I could tell that she really loved them. I liked her right away. She was East Indian, had come to Canada many years ago, worked as a housekeeper at a hotel where she had lived and now lived in a Seniors Lodge. We were shocked when she said she was 80 years old. This lady was riding a bike and carrying a large backpack. She was slim and trim and had lots of energy. We offered her a chair, some lemonade, both of which she took gladly. She loved to talk and had many great stories to share. I ended up putting her bike in the back of my car and driving her home. She invited me in to see her butterfly collection.
Walking in to her small apartment was like walking into paradise for me! There were Butterfly magnets on the fridge, Butterflies on sticks in the many flowerpots, Butterfly pictures, pillows, towels, sheets, window stickers and sun catchers, and mobiles hanging from the ceiling!!!. It reminded me of a Butterfly sanctuary I once visited in Mexico.
I knew that this lady had a message for me. She was showing me that Butterfly Clan people stay young. We are constantly being transformed from catepillar to cocoon to spreading our wings and flying, if even for a short time. On the way out, she walked me back to the car, enjoying our connection as much as I did. She showed me the beautiful flowers growing outside her window. She also told me that God would give me a special gift for taking care of my parents in their final years. Her Son had brought her to Canada and then rejected her, leaving her to her own survival. She had done great for herself, but I could tell that she was hurt by his actions.
She invited met to visit her again. I left feeling elated and disturbed at the same time. Her amazing Spirit lifted mine and showed me the beauty of our mutual Clan. The situation with her son was sad and all too common in our society. In Aboriginal cultures, we honor our Elders for the life they gave us and the wisdom of experience they embody. The Elders bring us to the North of the Wheel, they complete the Circle of Life.
I left feeling enriched by this encounter, honored to spend time with such a remarkable lady and thrilled to meet a member of my very own Clan!
* Deboning is the process of cleaning the meat off of the bones of an animal. It is also the process that we go through when something in us dies and we need to let go of the "dead skin" in order to lighten up again. It is part of the process of death and rebirth that we all go through at various stages of our lives.
2 comments:
An interesting story to hear, i appreciate your hearing your experience. Thank you for sharing it. It reminded me of when my daughter Haile was just about to be born, it was the 9th month of my pregnancy with my daughter who is now almost 13! I went for a walk along a quiet road and all these young butterflies were hatching out of their coccoons and flying around with beautiful colours. There must have been hundreds of them, it was amazingingly beautiful. Thanks again for your story and sharing. Love Meadoe
It is great to have you come and visit Meadoe and sharing your beautiful story. Nature and the Universe speaks to us in so many ways if we pay attention. It looks like you did!!!
I can't believe Haile is 13!! I remember when she was a baby, when we lived together in that communal house in Nelson!!!
On the Medicine Wheel, there are 13 Moons, which speak of children from birth to age 13. Your daughter is completing the first cycle of Moons and is in the Center Moon this year. On her 14th birthday, she will start a new 13 Moon cycle.
The 13th Moon is the Moon of Mystery and Initiation. Have you done a Ritual for her rites of passage?
Thanks for being here and sharing your stories. It brings good energy to the wheel I am building here!
Love, Wheelkeeper
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