The Winter Butterfly

By Mike Squatrito

I’m a good friend of Pat Hastings, and I read her newsletters whenever they arrive in my inbox. I was touched by the two stories she had in her last newsletter, about how a person knows their loved ones are all right and have found their way to heaven. Pat described assurance in the form of a butterfly, the frail but beautiful insect whose graceful flight lets you know your loved ones are in a better place.

Two weeks ago, I emailed Pat to let her know that my grandmother had suffered a stroke and the decision was made to let her die a natural death, per her wishes. Being February in Rhode Island, smack in the middle of a cold winter, I told Pat that it’s going to be hard to see a butterfly at this time of year. She assured me that I would.

My grandmother did pass away a week and a half after contacting Pat. To compound matters, my beloved 14 year-old yellow lab, Junior, had to be put down the night we buried Nana. I was distraught beyond belief from the cruel one-two punch. It was very late, almost 1:00 AM, when we returned from the emergency Vet clinic, and I went in my son’s room to make a call and leave a message for work. My son is 12 and his room is decorated like a jungle, with large paper leaves on the walls and paper Mache vines hanging from the ceiling. As I paced in his room, my head bumped into something, which I ignored. After making the phone call, I went to my bedroom for a restless night of sleep.

I woke up early the next morning to relay the sad news about Junior to my ex-wife. Being careful not to wake anyone else up, I went back into my son’s room to make the phone call. As I entered the room, I noticed something on the floor. To my surprise, an orange butterfly lay harmlessly on the carpet. You see, the vines that hang from my son’s room have butterfly twisties attached to them. Apparently, the night before, I must have walked into one of them, causing the butterfly to fall to the floor. I immediately thought of Pat. Here was my Winter Butterfly.

I truly believe that my grandmother was having trouble finding her way, and the Lord summoned Junior to help guide her. My dog had great instincts and I’m sure he led Nana to Heaven. Oh, and he’s being fed very well right now, that I’m sure of! I felt I needed to share this story, to give people hope and to show that anything is possible with the Lord.