Butterflies Make Me Smile

Butterflies (of “flutterbys” when I speak with the grandkids) make me smile for many reasons. I enjoy their colorful beauty, their fluttering flight, and their strength despite their frail appearance. All these things make me smile.

I stopped at the Niagara Butterfly Conservatory near Niagara Falls, Ontario on the way home from a very nice visit with my mom for her 86th birthday. The conservatory houses and cares for 2000 butterflies (45 species) in a tropical setting that includes a waterfall, a gentle stream, and a high, skylit dome.

I also enjoy the incredible story of transition from caterpillar to butterfly. Transgender people, like me, have an attachment to butterfly imagery. Maybe that’s why butterflies make me smile.

Here are a few of my favorite pictures.