I am the type of person who likes to give meaning to everything around me. Densely wooded areas symbolize strength and growth, while mountainscapes represent individuality and freedom. A rose represents love and passion, while daisies represent youth and innocence. I have curated these associations through personal experiences, literature, and the word of friends and strangers.

This practice is called symbolism, using natural objects, facts, or imagery to further express meaning. Whenever we look at something, from snakes to rainbows, we can draw connections between these objects and some broad/intangible concept.

For instance, snakes symbolize evil, destruction, or bad luck in most classic literature. If a character were to cross paths with a snake, it was considered a bad omen. Meanwhile, rainbows represent hope or good fortune. When a character encounters a rainbow, it signifies better things to come.

As you can imagine, I have many symbols in my life that are incredibly meaningful to me. However, one in particular plays an active and essential role in my life. This symbol is a combination of two living things: the encounter between a dog and a butterfly.

On the rare occasion you see a dog interacting with a butterfly, you cannot help but stop and stare. The plight of a playful, earth-bound dog to catch a dainty and seemingly transient butterfly is a sight to behold. But when you think of what these two creatures represent, their entanglement becomes more meaningful.

The first word that comes to mind when hearing “dog” is loyalty. With a title like “A Man’s Best Friend,” the unconditional love and comfort that emanates from dogs is undeniable. Energy, excitement, and constant wonder are common characteristics of our beloved furry friends. Butterflies, however, are delicate. With their short life span and migration pattern, we cannot help but be fascinated by the growth and transformation they endure in less than a year. For me, the mystery and magnificence of metamorphosis have always been fascinating.

So, when a dog and butterfly happen to dance in a fleeting moment of play, the experience is visually extraordinary because the two creatures are so different – both physically and symbolically. To me, the encounter between the two embodies life’s journey or perhaps meaning.

Dogs, with their unwavering love and joy, teach us to exist happily in the present moment. Butterflies, with their quick and tumultuous life, encourage us to embrace the beauty of change and the unknown. As a dog hopelessly reaches toward a butterfly doing circles in the air, it demonstrates that we have the potential to grow and transform if we proceed in life unconditionally.

Ann Wilson, the lead singer of Heart, perfectly captured this relationship when she wrote “Dog & Butterfly” in 1979. Wilson wrote the song after peering out the window of her home to watch her dog chase a wandering butterfly. Upon seeing this, the songwriter was inspired to pen a track about persevering through life’s difficulties.

Despite being an acoustic, soft rock track, the song reads much better as a poem. Wilson, who describes herself as the dog in this hypothetical situation, relays the rollercoaster of emotions endured during the trials and tribulations of life:

“See the dog and butterfly. Up in the air, he like to fly. Dog and butterfly. Below, she had to try. She rolled back down to the warm, soft ground, laughing to the sky, up to the sky. Dog and butterfly.”

From the laughter that can often accompany failure to the painful tears of rejection, Wilson emphasizes the importance of trying – no matter how hard life gets.

So, even when the dog falls on its rear end, it does not give up on the butterfly. With an unwavering smile, a dog’s paws will continue to reach skyward for the seemingly unreachable. If we emulate the steadfast passion of a dog, we, too, can attain beautiful things that may seem out of reach or beyond our imagination.

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Andie Balenger is a native of Gladstone and is currently attending Northern Michigan University. Her column addresses topics from the perspective of a young adult and runs Thursdays in the Daily Press.