​"Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly”. That was the quote my dad chose for the end of his obituary. It was 17 years ago today that he got his butterfly wings. It sometimes seems like just yesterday and sometimes it seems like a lifetime ago. He might not have realized how important those words would become to us. In the difficult days that followed butterflies would become our source of strength and a way to remember dad was somehow nearby. 17 years on and butterflies help us to remember and remind us how lucky we were to have him. We like to think that when a butterfly flies past its dad reminding us he’s still there. You can’t help but think it must be him. When a butterfly flew past during our wedding ceremony, the guests couldn’t help but think dad was there. When a yellow swallowtail flutters around the garden of your new home, it felt like it was dad saying how proud he was. When you travel half way across the world and a butterfly flies by, you can’t help but think dad is reminding you to have fun and enjoy the moment. I can’t help but check my speed when a butterfly flutters past my windshield, I usually think it’s dads way of telling me to slow down and drive carefully. Wherever we are, it seems that butterflies often show up at the moments when you need them the most or perhaps when you didn’t even realize you needed one. _KT