I have been getting very intimate with beautiful butterflies when so many of my closest and  favorite people have tragically passed on. When I see the butterflies I feel connected with my special people and their memories which transports me to reliving all sorts of moments that we shared. Butterflies first appear to be very feminine and transient. I thought they were pretty little things that only live for a couple of weeks and  float around at the whim of the wind,  yet I have observed that they are strong and flap their wings with determination like bats. I was very excited when the Monarch butterfly saw my Zinnias and visited my garden. I  planted milkweed which is the only plant they eat and makes them toxic to birds. They seek it out in summer and if it's getting cold when they emerge from their chrysalis they can hold out and hibernate  for months  and fly thousands of kilometers seeking out milkweed in warmer places.