THE MARRIAGE OF BUTTERFLIES

I was in a dream-like state as I took an afternoon walk around a nearby lake. This one day in particular, I was taking everything in around me which was overwhelming all of my senses. This very routine walk that I take several times a week was giving me a sense of true euphoria. I felt that I should be in high celebration of life and God. Everything around me had some kind of glow and texture that I was relishing in with my whole heart and soul. I was completely fascinated on the amount of butterflies that were flying around me in what appeared to be a musical dance celebrating an unknown union. There were literally hundreds of butterflies flying around me that included Monarch, huge blue wings, small yellow ones and even some with a touch of purple. They were majestic in their dance that floated through the wildflowers and the air around me.
On the shores of the lake I decided to take a break, and walked out on a small dock where I took a seat on an old wooden bench. I listened to the water splash up against the shore and I closed my eyes embracing the breeze that was slightly blowing against my skin. The worries of my mind had lifted as I was wrapped in a blanket of peace and calm. This was one of the few moments that I felt totally and completely connected to nature and I hadn’t a care or burden in the world that could hold me down. I could feel myself smiling.
I heard laughter coming from my left and I turned my head and opened my eyes to see a young couple posing on the shoreline in front of a camera woman. I watched them tentatively as they moved into a new pose every few minutes laughing and talking between each frozen moment in time. I assumed that they were having engagement photos done since the young man was in his military dress uniform and his girl was complimented by her pearl white, sun dress. I laughed to myself in celebration because I could feel their happiness with each other from even where I sat on the dock. I turned back towards the lake and immediately lost myself in the sounds of the waves and the sight of the butterflies.
A little while later, I heard a voice from behind say, “Could we interrupt you for a moment sir?” I turned around to see the young man in his military dress uniform and I immediately recognized him as an friend.
“Chad, I didn’t realize it was you. How are you?” was the words that came from him when I turned around to face the young soldier.
“I’m doing fantastic actually.” I smiled to myself, “Are you having engagement photos done?” He replied by telling me that he and his bride were actually married that very morning and they wanted to have some photos of themselves out here at the lake. They had decided to elope early for the young soldier had just been called to war and they wanted to spend this time together before he is shipped off to the other side of the world in just a few short weeks.
“We were actually wondering if we could have some pictures taken here on the dock?” The soldier looked back at his new bride and I relented the dock to them with honor. I watched them as they held each other for each new photo, giggling and laughing with delight and happiness. A warm, loving feeling was settling in my chest as I watched their small photo shoot a few feet away from the dock.
After the camera woman got what she wanted from them, the young couple came up to me to thank me for interrupting me and letting them use the dock for their very special time. I wished them both happiness and prosperity in their marriage and gave the soldier my heart felt, best of luck on his service to our country. We shook hands and the young couple walked away into their future together. I returned to the old bench on the dock and thought about the couple. I thought about how our grandparents and how many of them had done the exact same thing in the days leading up to World War 2 and I thought about the butterflies dancing around me. I was right in knowing that the butterflies were celebrating a union of marriage.
As I walked away from the lake that day with the butterflies in tow, I said a little prayer to God. I asked Him to bless the union of the young soldier’s marriage and to keep him safe from harm and to bring him home to a life he deserved. Tears began to roll down from my eyes, not because of sadness that war was looming beyond these intimate moments that surrounded the couple, but because I saw hope and God in everything that surrounded them on this very special day.