Butterflies In The Gutters

I have since then found out that the butterfly is called "Red-Spotted Purple" and it's in the Brush Footed Butterfly family. I found this information on the website Gardens With Wings. Click the photo go go to the web. page.

I live in Philadelphia and I work in Center City. Most days as I exit the underground train station I'm greeted by the smell of hot garbage and various forms of human waste that have been marinating in the heat through the night.

Don't get me wrong, there are some AMAZING things in the city, but after working down here for so many years, I find myself having to look harder and harder to see it.

I guess we can say the same thing about life. Let's just call a spade a spade, life can get down right hard, gritty, and dirty. You can pass hundreds of people each day, but do you really know what they're going through?

It was on one those stifling hot days in the city, where I happened to look down as something caught my eye. It was a stunning butterfly. I've seen small butterflies around from time to time, but never have I see one like this. The butterfly was flailing around on the ground in the street. It seemed like it couldn't take off so I "shooed" it to try and get it to fly out of the street, but it couldn't make it. The butterfly landed in the gutter.

Lying there in all of it's splendor, seemingly unable to move, the butterfly just sat there. I carefully walked over to it thinking it would fly away, but it didn't. I took a few photographs, but I had to think of something to do. I very slowly leaned down and just as it closed its wings, I picked her up and walked her over to a small flower box on the sidewalk.

I watched her for a few minutes as she fluttered around the box, but I had to keep moving on, satisfied that she just might be safe.

Our lives can be very much like this. We can find ourselves caught up in the muck and mire of the seemingly endless monotony of the daily grind, unable to see anything that truly inspires. But if we slow down  and allow even the smallest of somethings to catch our eye, we may just find beauty in the most unlikely of places.

Much Love~