Monarch Cocoon
Kamama, Cherokee for butterfly.
I once dreamed I was almost a butterfly– almost. The dream was ridden with anxiety. I felt trapped. I wanted to be free but woke up before that happened. I was glad to be out of that dream.
Shortly afterward I dreamed I was a milkweed plant. Now That was an awesome dream!
Milkweed in seed
I had several Milkweed pods in my freezer when I had these dreams. I was studying and preparing to start a business planting butterfly gardens, which I did the following Spring.
It’s hard to describe the way I felt dreaming I was a milkweed plant. It’s been many years and I still remember.
As a milkweed plant I could feel the process of pollination. I knew that part of me was being blown by the wind around the field and touching the other plants. I felt connected. I felt healthy. I felt free.
The life stages of a butterfly remind me of starting and maintaining a blog.
The connections I’ve made with other bloggers is a similar experience to the way I felt in my dream of being a milkweed plant, which is a feeling of being connected. There is an interdependence going on when we are writing our personal stories. One person’s words touch me, my words touch someone else and then another might read a comment or find a link to yet another blog and it all goes round and round.
Like the wind in my dream carrying a part of me across the field of milkweed, our written words travel across this place where we share our stories, giving birth to new growth in the form of knowledge and friendships.
“– a gift to my people the Cherokee, who honor the butterfly, kamama, in their daily lives as they honor and respect all things in the natural world.” Geyata Ajilvsgi.
Resources:
Please click on the below links for specific copyright information.
Wikimedia Commons, File: Monarch Butterfly Cocoon 2.jpg,
by Greyson Orlando.
Wikimedia Commoms, File: Milkweed-in-seed2.jpg,
User Mdf.
IconDoIt, the blog, “Butterflies are Free” by Leslie Sigal Javorek.
Butterfly Gardening for the South, (Absolutely my favorite book on planting a garden to attract butterflies), by Geyata Ajilvsgi, (Introduction, pg x1)
All content in this blog, including text, images and external links are subject to a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-Share Alike 3.0 US license. See Terms of Use in my sidebar for more information.
Thank you for visiting my blog.
DOGKISSES 
Posted by leiflife on September 13, 2014 at 12:47 PM
Very beautiful and heartfelt blog! Thank you for visiting my blog. The milkweed dream and the photo moved me greatly. I am grateful to find such a generous and thoughtful soul. I, too, am in love with the natural world…dependent on it’s teachings.
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Posted by dogkisses on September 13, 2014 at 2:08 PM
Thank you for reading, and bringing me back to my post too. I haven’t been able to blog much lately, or read, but my spirit is very much still present here. I enjoyed your blog! It’s always nice to meet another person who understands a bond with nature. I hope your day is a beautiful one!
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Posted by downtownmilwaukie on April 25, 2013 at 10:46 PM
My wife is Cherokee & Lebanese. I say “Okay pretty mama” all the time, so KA•MA•MA will be easy to ‘member.
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Posted by Michelle B. on April 30, 2013 at 10:45 PM
Cool! Your wife must enjoy being called pretty all the time 🙂
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Posted by Retha Plumlee on June 25, 2011 at 2:15 AM
Beautiful job. I think butterflies are one of God’s most beautiful creations. I have loved them since I was a small girl. I have never seen an ugly butterfly. Thank you for sharing.
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Posted by Retha Plumlee on June 25, 2011 at 2:11 AM
I have loved butterflies since I was a very small girl. You have done a beautiful “Blog” and it touched my heart and reminded me of how little things can make a big difference in our day. It always amazes me at the beauty and color of these beautiful creatures. Truly God is my favorite all time artist and painter. I have never seen an ugly butterfly, have you?
Good Job. You just made my day!
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Posted by dogkisses on June 25, 2011 at 9:05 AM
Thanks for reading Retha, I’m so glad you enjoyed the post! Yes, butterflies are all beautiful! Every one of them.
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Posted by dogkisses on June 22, 2010 at 9:08 PM
From hiddenlives,
http://mycfslife.wordpress.com — here is the post you commented on, I think. Below is your comment.
“I have a neighbor, now retired, who has raised Monarchs since he was a boy. Perhaps more important, he has shared his love of these miracles with many people of all ages, enriching all their lives, changing some of them forever.”
“Thank you for sharing this beautiful post and reminding us of miracles.”
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Posted by dogkisses on June 22, 2010 at 9:13 PM
To hiddenlives — http://mycfslife.wordpress.com/
Hi, I think this is the post your comment was meant for, “kamama, Cherokee for butterfly” Butterflies are wonderful and magical. There is so much awe about them. I love them! All of them. One of my favorites is the Painted Lady. I’m glad you liked reading it.
I hope you are doing well. I started to give you the ‘lovely blog award’ but saw where Rosemary chose you before I could. I understand too about writing text and how that is easy — but the other stuff is tiring.
In friendship to a beautiful writer–
dogkisses.
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