Butterflies!

My sister Kitty saw them first---outside of work.  She told me her colleague looked it up--monarch butterflies are a sign of someone coming from the other side to say "hey man, it's cool, I'm cool, you are cool"
So, I was worried about my birthday.  I told my dad to pick out a really good card like mom used to do, and I planned a really easy breezy brunch, hang by the pool, easy dinner with Andy and John, movie.

Dad sent the card, I got some nice gifts in the mail, a bunch of facebook notes I couldn't quite respond to.  And then, the day before, I was walking with pickle, where I always walk her, and there it was: a monarch.  Crossing my path, flitting above and telling me it was cool.  I cried and cried and then went home and chilled.

It's been a rough month--Andy got cancer, and he's going to be ok.  It's a new year, and it's not the same cancer as my mom's.  It's going to be ok.  Some day.