Within the Eye of the Butterfly
a fairy tale by Katherine
Russell
The morning was just waking. The air still crisp from the night's
chill. The sun was rising, making its promise to the day. Its golden
light sending streamers through the vivid blue skies--as if to play peek-a-boo
with an occasional cloud. It was the type of day that dreams are made of.
The creatures of the night had all made their way to their beds. It was
time for the day creatures to start to stir. And stir they did. Some
to play and some to do their daily chores.
One of the many creatures, to be out enjoying the gorgeous god-given day, was
a beautiful butterfly! His beauty was magnificent! His colors of
yellows and golds added splendor to all he surveyed. There was no
particular pattern to his flight. His free flight was a graceful dance
across the heavens. He brought pleasure and awe to all who were privileged
to see him. As he flittered through the sky, he lit here, there, and
wherever his heart or a breeze took him. He was completely free, and lived
only for enjoyment from day-to-day. But, on this morning he was to
experience something new, and true. Love was to find him as he danced
along his way.
For reasons he did not know, his attention was drawn to a single leaf on a
bush below. He decided to fly closer and get a better look. It was
an ordinary enough looking leaf. It was rather broad in shape and still
kissed with morning dew. Its color was that of life-green with a darker
hue of green running through its veins. All in all, nothing to make it
stand out over any other leaf. And yet... There it was!
Something moved! Caution should have prevailed and sent him speeding away.
For indeed this movement could have been made by some creature wanting him for
their prey! Yet something still held him in his stead. Something
inside him which went deeper than instincts told him that it would be OK.
Then he saw her! At first she was just a round head with two big eyes
opened in dismay!
She had been watching the butterfly for some time. As she drank in the
splendor of his colors and dance, she was filled with awe and envy. She
felt so awkward, clumsy and unrefined compared to his grace. His world was
so different from hers. She had hoped to hide and enjoy his presence
without being noticed herself. But, oh bother!! She had moved to get
a better view, and had thus drawn his attention. She now sat peering from
behind a leaf, feeling (and no doubt looking) more stupid and awkward than ever.
There was nothing left to do but indeed meet this cheeky fellow head on--or so
to speak. But, oh my! He had to be about the most beautiful hunk of
male creature that her caterpillar eyes had ever beheld!
The butterfly watched as she pulled her full body onto the top of the leaf.
As she felt insignificant in comparison to his bright-shining colors, he was
seeing a vision of his own. The butterfly found her pastel colors pleasing
to his eyes. And she sure was a curvy little creature! He decided
right then and there that this little lady was one he wanted to know better.
So the butterfly lit down beside her and bid her to allow him some of her
time. Well, minutes turned into hours, and still we do find the
caterpillar and the butterfly side-by-side. Where she had been drawn to
him for his beauty, splendor, grace and sense of adventure, he was drawn to her
by her softness and gentleness of ways. Love had come to both of them with
the warmth of that day. In the end, it wasn't because of any outside
package. There was love because each had discovered a radiant glow from
within the other. It is the kind of glow that only a "lover's eyes" can
see the magic of. Each was so different from the other and yet what they
shared was the same.
The day had passed. The night's curtains were threatening to fall.
The time had come when the butterfly needed to fly on--as butterflies have
always done. He turned to the caterpillar, his heart filled with love,
"Come fly
away with me, my dearest! I will show you all the beauty of my
ever-changing world. The sights we will see and share are indescribable.
My love for you will warm you against any night's chill. Loneliness will
be ever away from our hearts. For you and I, my dearest love
will never be apart!"
The caterpillar, filled with sorrow beyond belief, simply answered
"No." She hung her head low, so that
none of her tears would show.
The butterfly was devastated! He did not want to believe his ears.
Could it be that the love was felt only by him? Had he been just her
play-for-the-day?!
At this point the caterpillar raised her eyes. The tears swelling from
within were more than she could hide. She did love him. She
truly did! But, his love for her blinded him from seeing one major
difference between them. She had no wings! It wasn't that she would
not go with him. It was that she could not go with him.
They belonged to two different worlds. He to the skies and heaven above.
She to the earth, trees and shrubs. Their love had crossed the boundaries
for but a day. That day was now over. Each had to go his or her own
way.
The truth of the caterpillar hit it's mark in the butterfly. She was
indeed painfully right. So, with a final look at one held most dear, he
turned and flew away.
The caterpillar watched his flight until he was no longer in her sight.
Her feelings were all mixed up with sad and warm. Indeed she already
missed him. Yet she had a warmth in her heart that had not been there
before he came. She knew that so long as she still loved him, she would
ever fly with him in her heart. Her memories would be her wings to fly to
him again and again. For neither of them would forget the warmth of the
day.
Now, don't be too sad by the story I have told. For what is a
caterpillar but, a butterfly that has let his/her dreams and potentials soar.
And with the proper breezes, trust, hope and a dream... Two can come
together again--or so it would seem. And I have it from a reliable source
that this has come to pass. They now share the very same course. For
they happened in the land of my dreams. And dreams can come true. So
when you see two butterflies flying side-by-side, smile and feel warm inside.
The end.
Afterward
This story came about as a Christmas gift for a friend. She was going
through a tough time in her life and shared with me that what she really wanted
for Christmas was a story. Once I got out of my own way (fearing and
stressing about how I was going to do this), I sat down with pen and paper and
simply opened my heart. To my surprise the story came through from start
to finish so fast that I could hardly keep up with writing it down.
A fairy tale---that was a new one for me. But, what a beautiful and
powerful message. We are all miracles--every last one of us. And
when you find yourself doubting this remember "what is a butterfly but a
caterpillar that has let his or her dreams and potentials take wing and fly!"
So, what ever you do, don't let anyone or anything limit your dreams or what you
aspire to be. Let your light shine and soar!
