HELLOS & GOODBYES VIA BUTTERFLIES, SQUIRRELS, OWLS AND DRAGONFLIES
HELLOS & GOODBYES VIA BUTTERFLIES, SQUIRRELS, OWLS AND DRAGONFLIES
My research has also yielded numerous accounts of animals such as cardinals, butterflies, dragonflies, owls and squirrels appearing after the death of a loved one, staying close to family members who are experiencing significant grief. Furthermore, many have told me that these animals took on familiar characteristics of some of their deceased loved ones.
I learned many years after the death of my wonderful Uncle Jules that when my cousin, Hope, his daughter, would come to visit her mom and brother in New York, a small, bushy silver-gray squirrel would make its presence known to the family. It would hurry, scurry and take a position on the patio, just outside the kitchen door and window. It remained quite persistent, not going away until my cousin left to return home. Even more significantly, on one of her visits, the little squirrel hovered near the door to the kitchen and, when the opportunity presented itself, scampered inside and up on the kitchen table! How about that! It was during this event that Hope said something to her mom about the squirrel reminding her of her father who loved to “squirrel away” gifts and items he had bought for others in the family. She even went so far as to express, “Do you suppose….?,” but did not quite finish the obvious thought. She intuitively felt that, on some level, there was a connection between the two.
After reading Touched by the Extraordinary, at least three patients shared with me that they found an owl sitting close to their window, sometimes for hours, sitting and watching the house. These owls had never been there before. Many others have reported butterflies hovering close and following them for relatively long periods of time. One of my favorite stories is that of a lovely woman, whose husband had died and whose touching story is in my book. It was while on a Fathers’ Day camping trip that she had arranged for her family, one large and beautiful butterfly came and perched itself upon the shoulder of each of her children and herself as they prepared to eat their lunch. Intuitively, she and her family felt this to be her husband. She felt this was confirmed when, hesitatingly, she got up to go to the bathroom (thinking it might be gone when she returned), and when she returned, she found it sitting atop the hamburger she had left on her plate. She knew this to be her husband because he could never turn down a good hamburger!
If this reminds you of a story about animal wisdom or grief, please consider posting it on this page. In this way, we can all benefit, learn and grow. Many thanks, Susan