By Joseph J. Mazzella

It was the first week of September but felt like the middle of July.  The hot sun and humid air, however, did little to warm my mood.

I looked at the wall calendar and saw that it was almost September 8.  That was my Mom’s birthday.  She would have been 82 this year if she  had lived, but cancer had stolen her from us when she was only 55.  I still missed talking to her and hearing her gentle laugh.  She had given me so much love, kindness, wisdom, and guidance when I was a boy.  Most of our talks took place out on the porch where she fed the cardinals in the winter and watched the butterflies feasting on her flowers in the summer. She had a special affection for them both.  Even when I was a young Dad raising my own children I would still call her almost every day to ask her advice or just to hear the love in her voice.

For some reason this year I found myself missing her more than ever.  I wished I could let her know how much she meant to me and tell her “I love you” one more time.  I got up and walked out into the sweltering sunshine.  A few of the Maple leaves had already changed colors and dropped to the ground but it still didn’t feel like fall.  I bent down and picked up a red leaf when suddenly a white butterfly appeared.  It flew around my head three times then stopped and hovered in front of my face.  I looked at my little visitor with delight and all at once I knew who had sent him.  I looked up to the heavens as my heart filled with joy.  Blinking back the water in my eyes I smiled and said, “I love you, Mom!”

We are all watched over in this life.  We are all loved by a love beyond our comprehension.

We don’t have to understand it, though.  We just have to welcome it into our hearts and souls and let it guide our lives.  May you always feel God’s love all around you and may you always know that Heaven is watching over you.