Nature Informs

After recovering from a near-death experience with her ex-husband, Judy had recently met someone who was interested her. While working a second job at a restaurant to make ends meet, Tom was seated at her table one evening. Filled with a lack of trust and a need to remain grounded, Judy resisted the partnership for some time.

Tom continued to visit the restaurant where she worked in order to see her, and of course, after a while she began to open her heart to him and agreed to see him outside work. Their initial dates were far from typical – innocuous connections that left Judy feeling safe while allowing Tom to get to know her a bit better and display his sincerity and care for Judy’s well being. It also happened at the time that Tom was looking for a place to buy in the small town of Graeagle, a special spot in the mountains that was originally established during California’s gold rush days.

For months, Tom and Judy dated and often, they would drive to Graeagle to look at homes that were on the market. They both enjoyed it immensely – Tom had someone with whom he could share his search while envisioning the possibility of sharing it, and Judy loved the mountains and the road trips with Tom, although, she tried not to interject too much of her opinion. Judy was really growing to like Tom, but she also didn’t want to assume that she would eventually be ‘included’ in Tom’s real estate investment.

They continued to look. And look. And look. Their relationship was growing deeper and more significant, but Judy’s stamina for the weekly trips to Graeagle was starting to fade. It was nearing the end of Winter, so there had been some chilly days in the mountains. On one particularly rainy and cold day, Tom and Judy were slowly driving through a neighborhood in the late afternoon and Judy happened to see a small ‘For Sale’ sign posted on a tree. Ready to head home, she thought about not mentioning it to Tom at all, but by the time they got to the stop sign, guilt took over…”Did you see that sign back there?”

“No…did you see a For Sale sign?” Tom asked, while spinning the car around. And after a brief look, they jotted the number. Weeks went by as they tried to coordinate dates for viewing the home and lot.

The day they returned to Graeagle, it was warm and sunny and Spring was pushing its way through. Tom and Judy had spent some time viewing the home on the lot; it would need some work. It felt ok, but far from certain. Just prior to leaving, Tom was walking the lot…something that seems innate to men, she said. Judy was trailing behind, quite a distance from Tom and enjoying the warmth of the sunshine when suddenly, she was engulfed by a flock of butterflies. Hundreds of butterflies were landing on her, fluttering around her and creating a colorful cloud through which she could hardly see Tom at the far edge of the property. Not wanting to disturb the small miracle that was surrounding her, Judy softly cried out to Tom so he could witness it. She stood motionless. Then, as quickly as they arrived, they floated off and she was standing there as if nothing had happened.

What a thing! It was a sign, for sure. This was it; the place where Tom needed to invest.

Soon, an offer was accepted and after a time, Tom…and Judy…became the rightful owners of their new, spirited home. To honor the experience and thoughtful sign from Mother Nature, Tom and Judy have hosted an annual event at their Graegle home called the Butterfly Ball.