From June to September, Hospice Waterloo Region volunteer Lynn delivers butterfly chrysalises to residents’ rooms. The hatching butterflies bring smiles and expressions of wonder.
Lynn, a longtime member of the volunteer garden team at Hospice, first discovered a love of butterflies in her backyard, where she started nurturing and raising them.
In the summer of 2021, when her father became a resident of Hospice, she had an idea. He loved nature, and so she brought a chrysalis to his room for him to watch it hatch.
Today Lynn shares her experience and knowledge of butterflies with residents and families.
One resident told Lynn how much she enjoyed watching new life begin. Another was excited to invite family members to observe the moment the butterfly hatched. At a wedding ceremony held at Hospice, a newly-hatched butterfly landed on the bride’s hand.
These are magical moments and cherished memories for families at Hospice, made possible by the beauty of butterflies. Their amazing metamorphosis from a tiny caterpillar is a reminder of the cycle of life for us all.
Butterflies at Hospice Waterloo Region
With the help of butterflies, we honour our residents and their families.
Hospice hosted a wedding ceremony for a family in our care last summer. In the courtyard garden, after the hatching of a butterfly in her mother’s room, Celeste and her guests watched it land in her hair and settle on her hand.
Throughout history in many cultures and traditions, butterflies have been symbols of hope and rebirth. Considered by some people to be the souls of their ancestors, seeing a butterfly is a sign that the spirit of their loved one lives on.
It is not surprising then that butterflies are an important part of honouring those who have died at Hospice. This is why we have purposely planted bright, eye-catching flowering plants. Each summer the butterflies visit our gardens, dazzling residents and families with their vivid colours and patterns.
