On Monday’s walk, on a path near the river, I noticed some bright colours in the distance, laying in the grass next to the riverbank.

This particular path winds through our campgrounds and because it was the end of the long weekend, I thought that what I was seeing was no doubt trash left by some campers.

I decided to walk over there and gather it up for the nearby garbage can. I remember feeling disgusted that people would be so lazy and inconsiderate of our beautiful park.

As I walked through the mosquito-infested grass, my disgust turned to delight as I realized that I was approaching a butterfly garden that someone had taken the time to create there.

Whether this was an intentional act of kindness in creating something for others to enjoy, or just a need to create, my entire day was brightened by this sweet scene, and even just thinking about it now, makes me smile again. Photographing the spot so that I could share it with you, and maybe give you a smile today, was worth a few mosquito bites.

Photo Note: I took several shots from different angles and decided to keep the one I chose for my feature photo. I liked how the tree provided a bit of a frame and this seemed to be the best angle to pick up the details on the butterfly wings and the silk flowers. In order to more clearly define the white flower in the foreground, I used the details tool in Snapseed. I then added a vignette to further illuminate the scene.

“An act of kindness is like a pebble dropped in a pond. Just as the pebble lifts lily pads at the other side of the pond, so an act of kindness lifts the person you help but also many of those connected to that person. As their own spirits are lifted, their behavior towards others is kinder too.”

Dr. David Hamilton