Today was an unusual day. It seems that the monarch butterfly migration is currently making its way through our area. All day long, monarchs floated by my office window. Dozens upon dozens…sometimes as many as six in my window at once. It was amazing. I wanted so badly to get a photo of one, but never could pull it off.

I even hung around this flowering bush/butterfly bait when I got home in the hopes of snagging a photo.

I snapped some of the blooms until a different insect dropped in.

Well, hello there.

This time, there were bees everywhere.

These guys were fascinating. So busy. So focused on the task at hand. Perpetual motion. They completely ignored me, sweeping in and out of every blossom, bumping into each other, humming loudly as they worked.

I look forward to this bush flowering every year. Apparently the bees do, too.

They do not, however, seems to be terribly interested in my new mums. Although I think they are the loveliest.

This little guy seems to be flirting with temptation…

But back to the bees and the butterflies. I envy them to an extent. Here’s the thing: while bees and butterflies seem loopy and without direction, they know exactly where they want to go and what they want to do. I can relate to the loopy aimlessness, but I don’t quite feel like I know where I should be or what I should be doing. Surely I’m not the only adult who feels this way? I can’t be the only adult who feels like they aren’t following their internal compass? Like the butterflies who feel the pull to the south or the bees that are drawn to blooms, I have something way down deep that is pulling at me. But I can’t figure out where it wants me to go or what it wants me to do. I just know that I haven’t quite found my Purpose. I’ve written before about “purpose” on a smaller scale. In this case, I’m talking about Big “P” life purpose.

But I’m working on it — and hopefully I’ll get it figured out. Until then, I’ll continue to enjoy the little muses that life brings, remembering always that gratitude is the path to meaning and fulfillment.