The little boy ran happily through the streets towards his home. In his arms he carried a most precious item, a jar.
He was covered from head to toe in dirt and mud and looked quite a sight. No one would have known he came from a fine family.
Breathlessly he reached his house and went inside. In an excited voice he called out to his parents. "Mother, father, look what I've found."
His mother came into the entry way and spotting her young son sighed. "My goodness let's get you cleaned up before your father sees you."
She took him up stairs and proceeded to clean him. He squirmed about more interested in telling her what he had found. She didn't listen she was more concerned about him looking presentable.
Then his father came into the room. The child escaped from his mother's arms but not before she got the last bit of dirt and mud off him.
He ran to his father with the jar still in his arms. "See father see what I got?"
His father looked down at him and smiled. He knew his wife worried about things like appearance while he didn't, even though she thought he did. He also knew a jar was far more important to little boys than mothers could ever understand.
He knelt down so he was eye level with his son. "Now son, you know you're not suppose to bring things like this into the house," he said in a loud voice for his wife's benefit."
He then winked at his son so the boy would know he wasn't serious.
The boy understanding lowered his head, "I'm sorry, father." He then looked up with his eyes and smiled.
His father chuckled softly, "Let's take a look at that shall we?"
He took the jar and examined it carefully. As he did this he came to realize it wasn't the jar so much as what was inside it. "Mother you must come have a look at this."
Reluctant at first she didn't move right away and sighed. Then she saw the insistent look on her husband's face and came over. This time she really looked at her son's jar.
Her face softened as she realized how precious this must be to him. There were times when she did know the value of the contents of a jar over appearance even if she forgot at times.
"It's wonderful darling," she said to her son. "Let me do something for you." She took the jar from her husband and went over to a desk that was under a window.
She set it on the desk and got out the letter opener. With it she inserted a few tiny holes in the stopper. "There now our little friend has air to breathe. I see you've already given him leaves to eat and sleep on and that's very good."
A smile beamed across the boys face. Not only had his father approved but his mother as well and apparently he was going to get to keep his precious find.
Months later the little creature inside the jar did a most miraculous thing right in front of the boy. He went from being all fuzzy to a beautiful butterfly.
All though the boy hated to, he took his mothers advice and let it fly away out the window. His mother wrapped her arm around his shoulders. "Always remember this day and know that letting that beautiful creature go was the right thing to do."
As Jack sat behind his desk he let out a deep sigh as that memory flooded his mind.
He knew all too well why he thought of that day. His mother had been right.
That was why he would have let Lizzie go from his heart. She too was a beautiful creature who couldn't be kept in a jar. She had to spread her wings and fly free just like that butterfly.