Signs

Rick's mom passed away Monday afternoon.  She loved the color yellow, each year as I bought memorial flowers for Rick's dad and brothers she would always tell me, "get yellow, it's so bright and happy, I love yellow."

Yesterday morning as I walked to our mailbox, I stopped to look at our huge forsythia bush covered in yellow flowers.  I thought about Rick's mom, actually I spoke to her for a couple of minutes and told her I hoped that all was good.  Something flickered beside me, I looked and there on the twenty-second of February was a yellow butterfly on the forsythia bush......I know it's strange, but it gave me chills.  To see a yellow butterfly on a bush covered in yellow flowers while I stood there and talked to
Rick's mom......it just seemed surreal.

I know, I can get out "there" sometimes, but it just seemed like a sign.....that she was telling me, she was ok, that she was happy........in all that yellow.  We all have our ways, of making it through grief, and honestly, I have always looked for signs.  Many may scoff, but life is strange, and often there are no answers for the grieving process.....we do the best we can.  But for me,
that yellow butterfly, on the twenty-second day of February, flitting on the forsythia bush
was Elwanda's way of saying goodbye to me, of letting me know all was well.  I had been really upset because she died before I could get to the nursing home to be with Rick and the rest of the family to say goodbye......I haven't seen that butterfly again.