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I suppose you know about the life of a butterfly.....how short their life span is. I was reading about the life cycle of butterflies on a very imformative site recently.......Did you know that, given the right conditions, certain butterflies can live up to a year? The climate has to be warm and stable..because they cannot survive in the cold.
Jimma was my little butterfly......so to speak....She couldn't be taken outdoors a lot, because of allergies and the way it affected her breathing. So most of what she learned about those beautiful creatures was learned from books and toys. Someone had found a butterfly finger puppet for her and given it as a gift, (which, like most children, she loved)...it was about as big as a grapefruit is round......she was so intrigued by the varienty of colors and the flapping wings!
I remember one of the lessons her teacher was giving involved the recognizition of opposites.. up and down. Jimma, who wasn't supposed to have cognitive abilities, watched in wide-eyed facination as 'Teacher' made the butterfly 'fly'..up...down...up...down......
Then came Jimma's turn to demonstrate that she understood....so with the butterfly on her tiny finger.....'Teacher' instructing....up......and with eyes shining and a wide grin, her little arm went.. up....then...down......until she grew tired ...... O' how satisfied she was after teacher had left for the day and she lay her tired little head against my chest while we remembered the lesson of the butterfly ...until she fell fast asleep.....
You see....my precious little girl wasn't expected to live...yet we were given seven perfect years with her. The years were filled with all kinds of excitement...some heartbreaking, for sure....but I can honestly say that, for the most part....they were seven years of joy...watching her overcome obstacle after obstacle.
I don't pretend to be so wise that I can give instruction to those of you who have a special needs child. Every child born to man is as individual as the stars...one cannot claim to be an expert on all based on the experiences of one.....All I can do is tell you about our experiences.... every child that is born is unique and special ... just as special as my precious Jimma.
One thing that really bothered me throughout the years of caring for my angel...and still does...is how people tend to group special needs kids into a catagory I'll simply call 'these kids'...I heard it over and over again. "These kids"......and some well intentioned person, meaning no harm, I'm sure, would proceed to instruct me in a particular matter. Don't take me wrong....I appreciate the wonderful and kind-hearted therapists...the caring and patient doctors...the compassionate nurses...that awesome child-life specialist....that awesoome home care nurse that became my fast friend...and countless others that my awesome God sent our way.... the ones who became a part of Jimma's life weren't like that....slamming Jimma into a group....they treated her as the remarkable individual that she was. But, as I'm sure you'll understand, there is a weeding process. I often told Jimma's specialist that oversaw her care that I would gladly be his spokesperson...and refer everybody I met to him......he gently informed me that he was quite busy enough!!!!!!!
Before I close this page, I want to take a moment to tell you something that happened to us the other day . I was working in Jimma's little flower garden...along with my daughter, Kristin and grand daughter, Tori... Jimma's birth-mom and sister. It was a hot, humid day this summer..a gloriously bright sun-shiny day!!! We were getting sweaty and tired and were standing still, just looking at the beautiful flowers and resting a bit....when along came this little butterfly....it didn't strike me as the most beautiful I've seen....not as most people count beauty...it was kinda small...about the size of a quarter...with shades of brown dusting its wings...no bright hues were there to be admired.......it floated our way....and landed on Kristin......It just sat there, on her arm...until all our attention was focused on it. Even when she attempted to shoo it away, it wouldn't leave.....it just floated by...landing closer to her face. As we marveled..and as understanding started to arise....we talked quietly among ourselves....then the butterfly floated to Tori, 'visiting' with her for awhile. Next...to my utter amazement...came my turn...and the spirited little butterfly came to rest on my arm for a while. Finally.....as we watched with baited breath... the most compelling little creature I have ever seen.... took flight....going its way...to live out the rest of its life.....leaving us in silent amazement....
I'm not saying that there was anything mystical about that butterfly. But, I can say with surety that Jesus knows just what we need .. and just when we need it!!! Don't you know that this little butterfly.... one that I probably would never have taken the time to notice...that amazing little creature sent by my loving God to comfort our hearts...became to me... most beautiful?!!!!!
