Appreciating the little things in life

If someone asked me to write down the positive things this melancholy year gave me, I would include appreciation.

Through hours of lockdown and months of stir-craziness, I grew to appreciate the gifts nature and time granted me.

For years I’ve enjoyed flower pressing and arranging to make art. I do it to relax myself, to feel some peace through the chaos of life. This summer I utilized my craft in a way I never thought I would.

Coronavirus impacted our lives abruptly, unexpectedly, and often tragically.

Symbolically, I understood these feelings when I came across an extraordinary Cecropia moth that passed away in my garden. She was beautifully intact as if she died while sleeping on a flower. As an animal lover and long time vegetarian, I felt the need to honor her life in some way. I decided to practice some “ethical taxidermy” and use some of the flowers I pressed this summer to surround the beautiful moth, of which I named Lucille. I purchased a shadowbox and filled it with flowers. Then, without damaging her body, I pushed pins around the shape of her wings to safely encase her.

I keep Lucille in my bedroom and I plan on never parting with her. I hope someday I will look at Lucille and remember this time as a challenge we as a nation overcame, because life is precious and tragically beautiful.