Butterflies are released Saturday as part of a remembrance ceremony held by HospiceCare in the Berkshires.

While held for families and friends of hospice patients, the event was open to the community at large.

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Bereavement coordinator Rachel Lively, participant Susan Sorcinelli and volunteer Nancy Mclean spoke about the symbolize of butterflies in the grieving process. 

 

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A kaleidoscope of butterflies was released over Onota Lake in honor of loved ones who have passed.

Hospice Care in the Berkshires held a remembrance ceremony at the Controy Pavilion on Saturday, ending with the release of six dozen painted ladies. Tears, happy memories, and strength were shared amongst attendees of all ages.

Bereavement coordinator Rachel Lively said the butterfly's metamorphosis from a caterpillar can be compared to the change that a grieving person goes through and the beauty that can come from the pain.

The release is one of the memorial services HospiceCare does for families of folks who have died in the last year but it is also open to the community, she said.

"So anyone really can come and a lot of the folks who are here are families who have lost a loved one on hospice."

Susan Sorcinelli, who had a loved one in hospice this past year, detailed a butterfly's transformation from a caterpillar to a winged beauty while wearing wings of her own.

"Butterflies have long been associated with transformation, beauty, and the cycle of life," she said. "The remarkable life cycle which involves metamorphosis from a humble caterpillar to a stunning butterfly mirrors the journey of life."

The non-profit is an affiliate of Integritus Healthcare and offers compassionate end-of-life care and bereavement services.

Sarah Masiero, Dixie Willis and Kay Jerome met at grief support group meetings after losing their partners and have found the support very helpful. The three sat at the event together.

"It's been wonderful. Great support," Masiero said. "It's other people who are going through the same thing and everybody understands what you're going through, which is very helpful. It makes you feel like you're not the only one."

Willis concurred, adding that they are all "in the same boat."

"Being here with our friends and knowing that they have the same kind of experience, it helps us try to move forward," she said.

Jerome described the hardships of dealing with loss during the COVID-19 pandemic, adding that "nobody knows how bad that was."

The butterflies came from Swallowtail Farms Inc. in California. Lively noted that the release was approved by the city to ensure the species are native to the area.

The pavilion was filled with decorations, food, and music by music therapists Emily Johnson and Norene Braun. The Rev. Quentin Chin, who has served in a number of local parishes, shared a prayer and poem, reminding the group to "look to each other to sustain ourselves as a community that binds us together to hold us so that we can go forward in our days, our weeks, our months, and our years."

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