Butterflies and Daughters

Butterflies and Daughters

Noel Laflin

3-1-20

Years ago I placed a butterfly decal on the sliding glass door right about at eye level. I thought the decal, which is actually something cooler than that, was a freebie in some junk mail maybe; then Krysten reads this little story and reminds me that it was something that she made in art class when she was little. Who says kids don't always read your posts? Anyway, all ll I know is that placing that decal/art project on the door seemed like a good reminder to open the door first before trying to exit the house. I remember a friend from years before who ran right through a sliding glass door in his home. Sure, he was only eleven at the time, but hey, it can happen to anyone. The good news about his unfortunate experience is that he survived without a scratch. The door was not so lucky.

Now, I should have placed a decal, or maybe a full out stop sign on my own door years earlier when I tried to walk right through it.

It wasn’t really my fault, of course, as the window was sparkly clean for a change, thus allowing me to think that I was entering the great outdoors uninhibited. And speaking of inhibited, I further blame the half empty bottle of vodka in my hand when I tried to walk through the glass as being a major culprit in my miscalculation.

Fortunately, for both the door and me, there was no crashing of glass – just a major sense of embarrassment on my part, and a goose egg of a bump on my forehead.

Subsequently, I no longer drink vast quantities of vodka in one afternoon, or do I keep the glass so sparkly clean.

And should I fail in either of those endeavors, I have a butterfly to remind me to open the damn door first.

I am now looking for something similar to place on the screen door, as in my haste to view a bird upon occasion, I have walked pell-mell into it, knocking it out of its frame.

The screen is always quickly righted while curses fly. And speaking of flying, that’s just what happens to the birds that get away.

Madame butterfly snickers each time.

But as she’s only a decal she’s stuck with me.

And so is my daughter.