July 8, 2011
Ed and I anchored out at Block Island in the salt pond for our week of vacation. We had a fabulous week of swimming, walking, shopping and laughing with our friends. The weather was hot and some times so heavy in misty fog when you work up that your clothes felt damp. That was until the smoking hot sun came out to burn off the haze. I mentioned to Ed that I wanted to walk Crescent Beach to the very end where the beach runs out and the cliffs and stones are there. SO that morning we zodiaced to doggy beach to cross over to crescent beach and walk. We walked along a beautiful sandy soft beach with the emerald water breaking at our feet. I wanted to collect a lot of driftwood pieces and flat stones and other interesting collections that captured my attention. Walking along the beach picking up my treasures, my mind drifted to the time that my mom and I would walk along RI beach picking up these huge pieces of driftwood boards for me paint signs on for my shop. We were both laughing so hard because by the time we got back to our blanket with so many boards our arms ached and then we had to pack them in the trunk of the car and everyone kept asking us, “what are you doing with all those boards?” We just laughed so hard. It seemed like yesterday to me but it has been a lot longer than that.
Well Ed and I reached the end of our walk and Ed sat down on a huge log that got washed up to the cliffs and I kept looking for a few items. All of a sudden out of no where lands a beautiful bright yellow monarch on the mud in front of me. I couldn’t believe it and as I said, “Ed, Ed look at this, can you believe this?” The yellow monarch kept flying toward me, fluttering its wings and flying all around me. The more I said, “Mom is that you?” the more it flew closer and closer and landing on the mud directly in front of my feet. There were no flowers around just a huge mud cliff and a lot of rocks and the huge ocean. I sat down on a huge rock and kept talking out loud. The energy that I felt from this butterfly was amazing love that I felt in my heart that yes, this is “Dot”, my mom and best friend who had come to tell me to take the next step and be fearless. I could hear her say, “Your journey is the butterfly, the red tailed hawk, and all of the beautiful winged creatures that are fearless to soar and take flight. You have been born with this gift to share with the world and now is a very important time to do it. Go for it girlfriend. What do you have to lose?”
Ed turns to me and said, “Meg are you ready to walk back?” Yes, but I kept saying “Can you believe that….can you believe that?” Ed said, “So Meg, who was that?” I know that my Mom just confirmed for me to go for it. I explained to Ed that the entire walk she was so on my mind with the memory of us picking up all the driftwood that summer day. The gift that she continues to send back to me through the butterfly or butterflies is no coincidence. It is my journey that keeps living, loving, healing and sharing my adventures called “life.”
Of course there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t miss her very much, but all the love, laughter and great memories that we shared forever keep me going. The heart knows while the mind always speculates.
Love from your heart. It will never steer you wrong.
This will be the year…
Love you mom!
Your only daughter,
Meg
