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While We Can

Yesterday I was walking Beau in the backyard when I saw something fluttering on the ground. It was a gorgeous red-spotted purple butterfly (why they called it purple when it's mostly blue I have no idea), a species I've only seen a few times here.

It didn't fly away from us, so I put Beau on the porch and went back with my camera to see if I could get some pics of it before it took off. That was when I realized why it was fluttering on the ground. One of its wings was mostly gone, probably from a bird attack.

These butterflies live only a week or two so they can mate and lay their eggs. I know there are a million butterflies around now, too, so others will live on and continue the lifecycle of their species. Still, it made me feel terribly sad to see that while it kept trying to launch itself off the ground, this one would never fly again. Then I thought: Maybe you're one of those messages the universe keeps tossing at me.

Let's fly while we still can, my pals.

Comments

nightsmusic said…
Poor little thing! There have been a lot of videos out there of people who have managed to glue a piece of feather onto a wing like that and the butterfly has lived on to make its way in the world. Others have taken them in and made a little habitat for them with sugar water and things to crawl on so they can at least have a decent life. I raise Monarchs and I guess if I had one like that, I'd have to try and give it a chance. Poor little thing :( But you're right. Fly!
April 27, 2022 at 10:00 AM
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