A Story of Courage and Love

A Story of Courage and Love

By Dave Kuzminski

Also published as "Butterfly Attack," "Butterfly
Courage," "On Courage," "A Butterfly's Love," and "Now
I Knew."

Walking down a path through some woods in Georgia in
1977, I saw a water puddle ahead on the path. I angled
my direction to go around it on the part of the path
that wasn't covered by water and mud. As I reached the
puddle, I was suddenly attacked!

Yet I did nothing, for the attack was so unpredictable
and from a source so totally unexpected. I was startled
as well as unhurt, despite having been struck four or
five times already. I backed up a foot and my attacker
stopped attacking me. Instead of attacking more, he
hovered in the air on graceful butterfly wings in front
of me. Had I been hurt I wouldn't have found it
amusing, but I was unhurt, it was funny, and I was
laughing. After all, I was being attacked by a
butterfly!

Having stopped laughing, I took a step forward. My
attacker rushed me again. He rammed me in the chest
with his head and body, striking me over and over again
with all his might, still to no avail. For a second
time, I retreated a step while my attacker relented in
his attack.

Yet again, I tried moving forward. My attacker charged
me again. I was rammed in the chest over and over
again. I wasn't sure what to do, other than to retreat
a third time. After all, it's just not everyday that
one is attacked by a butterfly. This time, though, I
stepped back several paces to look the situation over.
My attacker moved back as well to land on the ground.
That's when I discovered why my attacker was charging
me only moments earlier.

He had a mate and she was dying. She was beside the
puddle where he landed. Sitting close beside her, he
opened and closed his wings as if to fan her. I could
only admire the love and courage of that butterfly in
his concern for his mate. He had taken it upon himself
to attack me for his mate's sake, even though she was
clearly dying and I was so large. He did so just to
give her those extra few precious moments of life,
should I have been careless enough to step on her.

Now I knew why and what he was fighting for. There was
really only one option left for me. I carefully made my
way around the puddle to the other side of the path,
though it was only inches wide and extremely muddy. His
courage in attacking something thousands of times
larger and heavier than himself just for his mate's
safety justified it. I couldn't do anything other than
reward him by walking on the more difficult side of the
puddle. He had truly earned those moments to be with
her, undisturbed. I left them in peace for those last
few moments, cleaning the mud from my boots when I
later reached my car.

Since then, I've always tried to remember the courage
of that butterfly whenever I see huge obstacles facing
me. I use that butterfly's courage as an inspiration
and to remind myself that good things are worth
fighting for.

Copyright 1997 Dave Kuzminski,
http://home.att.net/~d.l.kuzminski/atsocal.htm