I had a visitor the other day

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many ways that a loved one who recently died has come to visit,
After dropping Michael off at school on Monday, I noticed this butterfly in our flowerbed in our front yard.  I thought it was a little odd because I've never seen butterflies in our area before.  I went into the house to figure out what I needed to get for the grocery store.  When I came back out to leave, the butterfly was still flying around our front yard.

I went and did my shopping and an hour and a half later, the butterfly was still there.  Every time the butterfly seemed to be flying away, it would turn itself right back around to my front yard.  It touched our West Virginia University flag, all my flowers, and our tree.  I decided to get my phone out to take a picture of this beautiful creature.  It just sat there on my flowers and slowly flapped its wings and let me take several pictures.

If anyone knows me, they know that I've always loved butterflies.  Not sure why or what brought it about.  I have butterfly curtains and sunlight catchers in one of the windows in our kitchen.

When I saw this one and noticed the fact that it kept turning back to my front yard, I knew there was more to this butterfly.  After talking to my mom and Jon about this butterfly, I know for certain that it was my dad.  It wasn't until I was talking to Jon that I remembered that my dad had said he always told Becki (my step-mom) to make sure she packed his orange polo because Michael loved orange.  So, my dad made sure he came to visit with his orange "polo" on.

The caterpillar dies so the butterfly could be born. And, yet, the caterpillar lives in the butterfly and they are but one. So, when I die, it will be that I have been transformed from the caterpillar of earth to the butterfly of the universe. - John Harricharan

This is not the first time that my dad has visited me in the past 4 months.  A few weeks after his funeral, we were at Michaels get somethings when the Beach Boys came on.  Now, I really wouldn't think anything of it, but it was one after another.  Then a song from another artist came on and then another Beach Boys song.  Stores don't normally play mix albums, normally it's musac that's being played so there would never be the case of more than one song by the same artist being played in a row.  The Beach Boys were my dad's favorite band so I knew that he was sending me a message.

He's also visited me through the printer that he gave us last year.  He actually worked for the company that made it and so he knows how it works.  Many times since his passing the printer has decided to turn itself on or do funny things.  Never did this while he was alive so I know it's not just something weird that the printer does.

Another one that I'm not sure if it's Dad or Velvet because this had happened many times while my dad was alive, but after Velvet died is both of Michael's toy barns would go off while I was down in the playroom working on my computer.  Both toys were purchased by my dad and step-mom for Michael as gifts and (you wouldn't know it by looking at him or even talking to him) my dad actually grew up on a farm.  So, this one is a toss up.

Hard to believe that it's only been 4 months.  I think about him daily, probably more than I did when he was alive which is really sad to say.  There are days that I think about him and that I should send him an email, text him, or even give him a call.  Then it hits me, I can't.

By the way, I have not seen the butterfly since before I left to pick Michael up from school on Monday.  What ways have your loved ones come to visit you?

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