The Butterfly Is Me!
by
Book Cover & Preview Text
The Butterfly Is Me
Written February 23, 2003
Wrapped in the chrysalis safe and warm
There is a life being nurtured, about to transform.
Wintering away on the branch of a tree
A miracle of nature is waiting for me.
The eggs were laid and the caterpillar was born
She shed her skins in the warm autumn morn
And after a while when the time was just right
She cloaked herself in a pupa for the long winter’s night.
The earth begins to warm and springtime arrive
With beauty and vibrancy, nature comes alive.
The butterfly emerges from its tight little world
To flutter and fly with her wings unfurled.
To be who she is has not been without pain
But to break out her safe world is how she can gain
Gain the freedom to live in the rain and the sun,
The freedom to be all that she will become.
Her colorful wings allow her to take flight
To taste the nectar of the flowers and bushes so bright
She is so delicate, but ever so strong
As she takes her place where she belongs.
The butterfly is a symbol for me
My totem, my strength; it allows me to be free
The struggles and hardships of finding myself
Help me, as the butterfly, to appreciate the wealth.
The wealth is the earth with its flowers and trees
The mountains and deserts, the sun and the breeze
The colors, the rivers, the lake and the stream
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Book Details
About the Book
This book is a compilation of inspirational poems written by Margaret "Peg" Stanton after being diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of cancer called inflammatory breast cancer. During her illness, Peg began a spiritual journey to help her find the inner peace and strength neccessary to come to terms with having a terminal illness. It was on this journey of spiritual enlightenment that Peg embraced the butterfly as her symbol of strength and wrote the poems found in this book. Peg, a loving mother and devoted friend and teacher, lost her courageous battle with cancer on January 23, 2005. Please enjoy these poems and may you find the inspiration she hoped it would provide. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this book will go to various breast cancer oganizations.
About the Author
Peg was an excellent teacher who taught both in & out of the classroom. She taught for 35 years in the Central Bucks School District where she helped to develop a new program for gifted students in grades 1-6. Outside of the classroom she taught many people, children and adults, the value of friendship, strength, and courage. Peg’s life was a series of lessons to her beloved children, to her devoted husband, to her numerous friends and family and to herself. Her classroom was never confined to 4 walls as she taught many to “think outside of the box”. In 1999, Peg was diagnosed with an extremely rare form of breast cancer, a monster named “inflammatory breast cancer”. Only about 1% to 6%1 of breast cancers are inflammatory breast cancer (ibc). Her treatments included a radical mastectomy, chemotherapy, radiation and a grueling bone marrow stem cell transplant. Peg tried chemo after chemo, but to no avail, the monster kept spreading. She faced head on each treatment option and never questioned why she was chosen to suffer. Instead she began a journey to help her find an inner peace. It was in Sedona, where a butterfly landed on her shoulder and became her “symbol”. Peg found many correlations between herself and the butterfly, hence the title, “The Butterfly Is Me”. Peg lost her battle with the dreadful disease and became a pathfinder on Sunday January 23, 2005. It was during her six year journey with cancer that Peg started to write the poems found in this book. They are reflections about her and about life. She hoped that other cancer patients or anyone struggling with life would find these poems helpful and inspiring.