The Butterfly Girl

Children growing up in the city rarely have the chance to experience nature in its purest form. I was a lucky one... given the chance to explore a small lot of field, deciduous forest, and pine trees situated behind an out of the way condominium complex. Each year, after the bitter northeastern winter had taken its toll, I remember the butterflies would begin to hatch from chrysalises amongst the blooming forsythia flowers, bringing life back to the once barren snowscape. They fascinated me, but their numbers gradually dwindled away over the years. In effort to help, my mother and I planted a small butterfly garden at the edge of the woods, where the few remaining monarchs, painted ladies, and luna moths would visit each spring.