Butterfly; Message From a Loved One

A Butterfly of Generational Love

Some objects carry more than just history; they hold love, memory, and the quiet echoes of the past.

A client of mine recently entrusted me with a collection of beads from the 1940s and ’50s—beads that once belonged to her mother. She had saved them for decades, not for their material worth, but for the sentimental weight they carried. They were a tangible connection to the woman who raised her, a reminder of love stitched into everyday life.

Now, those beads will become part of a butterfly I am crafting from discarded plastic sheeting. A fragile yet resilient form, stitched together with care, just as a mother’s love endures through time. This butterfly will be part of a larger piece titled Through My Son’s Eyes, a work that reflects on love, memory, and the way we pass down meaning from one generation to the next.

In repurposing these beads, I hope to honor the tenderness of a mother’s love—both my client’s and my own. The act of transformation, of giving new life to what was once set aside, mirrors the way love itself is never lost. It changes form, but it remains.

What objects do you hold onto, not for their use, but for the love they represent?