Cherish, Release (obverse)

Bronze Inspired by the quote "things arise and she lets them come, things disappear and she lets them go" from the Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu, I used butterflies to represent the "things" which come and go from our lives.  Butterflies are a fitting metaphor here as they are a widely recognised symbol of change, but they also represent both beauty and fragility. If a butterfly lands on your hand you should cherish that moment, for you know that it it's a great and rare beauty and will not stay on your hand forever. You also know that the butterfly will soon fly off and you have to let it go, release it, for the only other alternative is to trap it and kill it. Perhaps if we were willing to accept that we eventually have to let go of things, we would be more appreciative of them while we have them.