Although I am not a big butterfly fan, I couldn’t help but visit the butterfly garden when I was recently at The Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia.  You may remember my last trip to the Butterfly Garden.

Today’s Friday field trip is a revisit to the butterfly garden at the museum.

I think the intriguing thing about the butterflies is their short life span…it does seem sad that they don’t live beyond a couple of weeks.  For me, the intriguing part is that every time I am in Philadelphia, I can stop by the butterfly garden and every single butterfly will be different from my previous trip!

So, even though my intention was to just visit the “Glow” exhibit, I found myself stopping by the butterfly garden before I left the museum.  And, this time I got to thinking about butterflies in literature…wondering how others documented their feelings about butterflies.  I have included my favorite findings with the photos.  Enjoy!

But these are flowers that fly and all but sing:

And now from having ridden out desire

They lie closed over in the wind and cling

Where wheels have freshly sliced the April mire.

~Robert Frost, “Blue-Butterfly Day”

 

Happiness is a butterfly, which when pursued, is always just beyond your
grasp, but which, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you.

~Nathaniel Hawthorne

 

We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes

it has gone through to achieve that beauty. 

~Maya Angelou

 

“Just living is not enough,” said the butterfly, “one must have

sunshine, freedom and a little flower.” 

~Hans Christian Anderson

I only ask to be free.  The butterflies are free. 

~Charles Dickens

 

She liked being reminded of butterflies. She remembered being six or seven and crying over the fates of the butterflies in her yard after learning that they lived for only a few days. Her mother had comforted her and told her not to be sad for the butterflies, that just because their lives were short didn’t mean they were tragic. Watching them flying in the warm sun among the daisies in their garden, her mother had said to her, see, they have a beautiful life. Alice liked remembering that.
~Lisa Genova, “Still Alice”

I hope you enjoyed our Friday field trip to the butterfly garden at the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia.  Thank you so much for stopping by.

Remember to take pleasure in simple things and have a wonderful weekend, Jackie

Sharing at The Tablescaper and Mona’s Picturesque.