Has anyone ever told you the meaning of butterflies? Butterflies mean a lot more than someone would think. I have chosen to write about a necklace that is a butterfly my mom gave to me on my high school graduation day. This necklace is a little silver butterfly on a silver chain. My mom and I have matching, except mine is the cutout of hers. In other words, her necklace has a butterfly-shaped hole and mine is the piece that fits into hers like a puzzle piece. I wear this necklace every single day and never take it off. It makes me think of my mom releasing me into the world and taking everything she and my dad have taught me and applying it to my life as an adult. I chose this specific artifact because my mom and I have always had a very close bond, which is why it means so much to me. The day in itself has a significant meaning. High school graduation marks the end of an era; it shows how much I have grown from a little girl into a young woman.
To explain the background, butterflies signify the relationship between transition and growth. This necklace is very significant in my life. I, just like everyone else, have gone through things in life that you never envision yourself getting to the end of; a challenge that is never-ending. Wearing this necklace is a reminder of not only how much I have grown, but I will continue to grow and transition into my life and my faith, whether or not it's how I envisioned it. I decided to explore the relationship between butterflies and Christianity. According to Allison Dienstman, “Butterflies are considered a powerful symbol of transformation and spiritual growth.” I grew up in the church. My grandpa is a pastor and has crazy godly stories that have happened in his life. Both my mom and dad have taught me to tackle life through prayer. I was baptized on January 24th, 2016, so I thought it would be interesting to learn about the culture of butterflies and Christianity since it's a huge part of my identity. My grandma and grandpa are part of a ministry, Solution for Life, that she and my grandpa started alongside the church to help people learn about Jesus and how to grow their faith. With this, my grandma did a study about butterflies, and she shared it with me.
To summarize the story my grandma sent, it was a story about a man watching a butterfly grow inside its cocoon. The butterfly was struggling and remained still. The man helped the butterfly, but since the butterfly didn’t get to fully grow, it was damaged. The man had hoped the butterfly would spread its wings and fly, but it never did. The man failed to realize sometimes a little extra effort is needed to get where you want to go. My grandma says, “Sometimes, a little extra effort is precisely what prepares us for the next obstacle to be faced. Anyone who refuses to make an effort is left unprepared to fight the next battle and never manages to fly to their destiny.” This is so powerful and I think it will surprise people how much butterflies and Christianity compare. One thing about Christianity, faith is important. The man didn’t have any faith and was impatient, and it ended up hurting the butterfly in the end. This relates to my life. I find myself rushing into the next step of my life instead of trusting God's plan and allowing myself to go through the transitions in life. Wearing this necklace is a huge reminder to slow down and trust where I am headed is where I am supposed to go.
My mom and I have a very close bond. I like to describe us as Lorelai and Rory from Gilmore Girls. Rory honored her mom on her graduation day and it perfectly describes how I feel towards my mom: “My mother never gave me any idea that I couldn't do whatever I wanted to do or be whomever I wanted to be... As she guided me through these incredible eighteen years, I don't know if she ever realized the person I most wanted to be was her” (Rory Gilmore). My mom and I are always the ones at Christmas dinner wearing matching pajamas, going on bike rides together, getting our pumpkin spice from Starbucks on the first day of fall, going shopping together, sharing meals at restaurants, the list continues. We have so many memories I hold very close to my heart. I am never ashamed of these things. Even at 18 years old, I still want to do everything with my mom. We have a very special relationship; a relationship I wish everyone got to have with their mom. At the end of the day, she is my mom, yes, but she is forever my best friend too. Receiving this necklace from her on the day of graduation made me cry. It was released into my hands at the absolute best time of my life.
There are a lot of significant things she has gotten me. I had the choice of this necklace and a ring she got me for my 16th birthday. I felt like the necklace, even though it's newer, had more meaning in my life. I asked my mom why she bought this necklace for me, and why she gave me it on graduation day. My mom said, “It was your graduation day, a day to spread your wings and fly, butterflies signifying change into beautiful things. It seemed fitting to do it on graduation day when you were transitioning from high school to college.” Hearing my mom say this means so much to me. I know both my parents have raised me well and taught me everything I need to know to succeed in life. Most importantly, I have seen through their everyday actions what having good faith looks like. My mom has a faith like no other, she always tells me: “trust God and what he has in store for you, it will all be okay.” Having this necklace is a piece of comfort that reminds me of all the encouragement my mom gives me. It demonstrates releasing me out of my cocoon into the world.
Exploring this relationship between butterflies and Christianity has opened my eyes to so many things. This necklace was already so special to me, but now it's deeper than that. It doesn’t just mean one thing to me or remind me of one specific thing. It makes me think of all my loved ones and my religion and how special they are to me; it allows me to stop and slow down and enjoy life and truly live through the hard times instead of trying to find the easy way out and wishing the day away. It reminds me to incorporate everything I have been taught through my parents and my faith into my everyday life. Everything we encounter on a day-to-day basis allows room for growth. After receiving this necklace, I can see that. Eventually, I want this butterfly tattooed on me in honor of my life and this necklace's special meaning. Having this connection makes me view the world in a different light; for that, I am thankful and proud to wear this necklace every day.
Works Cited
Coelho, Paulo. “The Lesson of the Butterfly” 21 September 2023.
“Explore the Spiritual Meaning of Butterflies.” Goodnet.org, 17 May 2023, https://www.goodnet.org/articles/explore-spiritual-meaning-butterflies. Accessed 2 October 2023.
Margolis, Lauren. “20 Gilmore Girls Quotes That Prove Lorelai & Rory Had The Best
Mother-Daughter Relationship.” YourTango, 4 May 2021, https://www.yourtango.com/2019320603/best-gilmore-girls-quotes-mother-daughter-relationship. Accessed 2 October 2023.
Westlund, Mimi. Personal Interview. 21 September 2023.
Westlund, Jessie. Personal Interview 21 September 2023.