This week, our task was to take a picture of something that held some significance. I chose to take a picture of a butterfly. Not just any butterfly, however. This is a preserved, framed blue Morpho Didius, a native species of Brazil. The significance behind this butterfly goes back to a momentous trip to the butterfly conservatory in Niagara Falls.

My husband and I were on a date and were having a lovely time in Niagara-On-The-Lake. We enjoyed a delicious lunch at a quaint restaurant. After a brisk walk in the rain, we caught a ride on a horse-and-carriage. We rode around the town and learned of its unique history as we snuggled under a cozy blanket in the wet weather. I remember thinking to myself, "If this guy ever proposes marriage to me, this would be the perfect moment." But he didn't.

Our trip ended at the butterfly conservatory. I had never been there before and I was quite excited to see it. The gardens were gorgeous, even in the rain. But the conservatory itself was smaller than I had anticipated, and quite hot and humid. It was a really neat experience, though, because you are surrounded by butterflies. They would even land right on you. There were so many species, it was stunning.

After making our rounds, I was ready to leave and breathe some fresh, cool air but my date insisted on returning to a particular corner where he wanted to get a closer look at a certain butterfly. I was a little puzzled, seeing as the chance of that same butterfly still being in the same spot was rare. But when we got there, he didn't seem to care. He pulled me in close to him. I noticed his heart was pounding unusually hard and I remember asking him if his lunch had disagreed with him or something. He proceeded to remove his backpack and took out a little box wrapped in a white ribbon. To my utter surprise, he got down on one knee and proposed to me. In front of everyone! We were both shaking with complete contentment and were showered with best wishes from all the other visitors.

As we were leaving, we felt we needed to comemorate this very special day so we bought this butterfly. We were still crying tears of joy when we brought it over to the cashier. I'm sure the cashier was confused as to why we were so emotional over a butterfly. Anyway, since that day, butterflies have held a special meaning for me. Here's my picture...