My grandmother Ruth Sullivan was a beautiful soul. She died when I was young, I want to say I was about five or six. Even though she died when I was young, she was still an important person in my life. She spoiled my sister and I like crazy. We saw her almost weekly. My grandmother had suffered from throat cancer, and due to the cancer she had to have her leg amputated. Being so young I was always so curious as to why she never had her leg. I was always looking under her pant leg to see what was missing and she always handled it with humor. Never being bitter about the fact that I was so oblivious to how rude it was. She was graceful and full of life.
I did not realize it at the time, but my grandmother was hooked up to a feeding tube. She couldn't eat on her own because of the cancer. But regardless of how she was feeling, she always made sure to ask about everyone else's day. Especially mine because I would talk her ear off making stories. My dad always yelled at me but she enjoyed them. And to be honest she was the only one that cared to listen to them. She was strong, beautiful, and amazing. I am so proud to be her granddaughter.
When she was dying she always told us she would come back as a butterfly. My grandmother was buried in a light purple dress. When my aunts went to put the flowers by her grave, a purple butterfly the color of her dress flew out of the flowers. Even though I never saw it personally, every time I see a butterfly I find comfort in knowing she's around us. Two summers ago at my aunt's lake house in Michigan, a butterfly landed on my foot and never left. I believe it was her enjoying the beautiful day with us. My grandmother will always be my purple butterfly.
