On Sept 10, 2017 the Deaf Palliative Care Team invited the Deaf community to the beautiful gardens of the Hospice at May Court to share stories of loved ones who had died and to release monarch butterflies in their memory.
According to a North American Native legend:
If anyone desires a wish to come true they must first capture a butterfly and whisper that wish to it.
Since a butterfly can make no sound, the butterfly cannot reveal the wish to anyone but the Great Spirit who hears and sees all.
In gratitude for giving the beautiful butterfly its freedom, the Great Spirit always grants the wish.
So, according to legend, by making a wish and giving the butterfly its freedom, the wish will be taken to the heavens and be granted.
100 butterflies were woken from a refrigerated sleep, slowly warmed and given messages before being released. It was magical watching the wings unfurl and the butterflies sitting on hands and fingers that had been dipped in Gatorade, slowly sipping before taking flight.
Grief is the natural response to losing a loved-one and the Butterfly event was an opportunity to be with others who were grieving.
In bereavement there are often two words used – “grief” and “mourning”. They are different – grief is what happens inside. Mourning is when you take the grief you have on the inside and express it outside yourself, ideally in the presence of understanding, compassionate people.
Many people grieve, but they do not mourn.
The beauty of the butterfly helps us take our grief and mourn – to feel that even out of unspeakable grief, beautiful things happen. Many people felt surrounded by warm understanding love.
The butterfly event was made possible through the support of many volunteers, Hospice Care Ottawa and the May Court Club. Susan McKinley (a volunteer on the Deaf Palliative Care Team) along with her husband Henry, are volunteer gardeners on a team that works every Saturday from spring to late fall making The May Court garden a spectacular sight.
Hopefully our pictures share with you the joy of the day.
Ottawa Deaf Health Care Team 