Rose Marie

Rose Marie

By

Selby Parker

Rose Marie was a 10 year old dark haired beauty with ebony eyes and olive skin when she was admitted to the children’s cancer clinic at the university medical center in 1968. She was considered smart, precocious and artistic by her teachers in school.
When Rose Marie was diagnosed as having cancer the idea of her having to live at the clinic was a difficult decision for her parents.
Rose Marie’s nurse Mrs. Hale was found by the parents to be a wonderful middle age woman and that helped ease the pain. She would often read stories to Rose Marie as they sat outside the clinic beneath a large pin oak tree. Marie’s condition had acerbated and it was felt that she should use a wheel chair while outside the clinic.
A student of nature Rose Marie loved to watch the insects, birds, hummingbirds and squirrels at play in the distance for the hard baked ground outside the clinic was devoid of grass under the large pin oak.
One warm summer afternoon while sitting in her wheel chair a small yellow butterfly caught Rose Marie’s eye as it flit about with its dazzling shimmering gossamer wings. Soon a companion of similar hue joined in and the two appeared joyous and happy in flight with colorful yellow wings catching each gentle breeze.
For the briefest moment, but a life time to Rose Marie, a small, lemon-yellow butterfly lit on her knee as she sat motionless observing the two long antennas and the large eyes on either side of its head.
As the butterfly flitted away Rose Marie cried out:
“Mrs. Hale a small yellow butterfly just lit on my knee.”
“That is a sign that you are loved Rose Marie?” Mrs. Hale offered looking up from her book and smiling at the beautiful young child.
Later as Rose Marie was wheeled back into the clinic she announced that she wanted to learn more about butterflies and Mrs. Hale agreed to accommodate her request.
As time passed, Rose Marie became obsessed with butterflies. She asked for butterfly coloring books, books on insects, landscaping and even books of the great masters in Europe on architecture.
Rose Marie was often seen by staff late at night reading or writing on her sketch pad. Nursing staff soon had to provide her space to work near her bed for her preoccupation with butterflies had grown so great. In time her work area was filled with boxes of crayons, sketches, books, note pads and line pages of hand written scribbled notes.
One afternoon while basking in the sun outside the clinic Rose Marie asked, “Why do butterflies have to die, for they are like flying flowers?” Caught off guard by the question momentarily Mrs. Hale, a deeply religious woman, simply replied: “Its nature’s way to demonstrate that life can be resurrected to give joy and hope.” “That’s a nice thought Mrs. Hale,” Rose Marie said as she scribbled on her ever present note pad.
Mrs. Hale had to turn away to hide her tears for she knew Rose Marie was smart enough to grasp the comparison of her life with that of a butterfly and the humanity of the immortal soul.
Late that winter Rose Marie passed on like the decorative monarch butterfly she grew to love. She left two letters, one for her parents and one for the clinic director.
In the summer of 1970 Rose Marie’s parents were invited to attend the remodeling and dedication of the children’s clinic that was completely remodeled. The children’s ward was now transformed with a blue sky effect on the ceilings with butterflies and other small birds depicted in flight on the walls. Recessed lighting and ogee arches were painted on the walls in the manner of European architectural masters. Butterfly mobiles could be seen over the beds of smaller children. Butterfly clip art was ever present in the clinic.
But the main focus of the ward was the glassed in Florida like room that extended out from the ward on the ground floor. The room was warm and inviting with earth colors, low reading lamps and sofas. But most of all it gave one a spectacularly view of the flower garden under the large elm tree.
The garden had a special concrete path for wheel chair patients. The path was painted a pink shell color that gave the appearance of a rainbow from the evening setting sun. A Bern like effect was created with native plants: both nectar plants and larval hosts’ plants for the butterflies to feed on. Small water fountains were strategically placed to attract butterflies.
Over the top of the bern one’s attention was drawn to large clumps of native flowers, feeders and water fountains for the birds and squirrels that inhabited the area. An artist’s reference point was utilized to create the illusion of distance as a backdrop for the small children’s garden.
A green space was maintained in the center of the garden for toddlers to play and feel the grass beneath their toes. Small hand carved wooden benches provided seating outside the garden area for parents and staff to watch over the young.
A small porcelain marker in the center of the garden read:

Rose Marie’s Butterfly Garden
1970