Our Influence
Iron Butterfly, although our business, is also a reflection of one of our dearest family members, my mother Providencia Gonzalez. Below are some words we want to share that recognize the person she was and her influence on us and everyone she came in contact with. Iron Butterfly is in memory of her.
I don’t remember everything about growing up. But I do remember only great things about Mom. I remember sitting on the counter in the kitchen watching her cook with passion. I can’t remember having a bad meal made by her in my lifetime. I always watched with the hopes of cooking good food like hers as I grew up. Hopefully, those I have fed can say that they have enjoyed my food, or at least have lived through it (lol).
She was always present for us no matter what. Soccer games, band competitions, chorus, school trips, field hockey, friends gatherings, you name it. I never felt like we missed out. To her, family was everything, it was the only thing.
She never let her illness and all of her struggles, define who she was. She placed the same effort into life and those around her no matter what her physical body was telling her.
I remember taking her up to Mount Lemmon in Tucson, Arizona when her lung capacity was already diminished. I was internally blown away. She required some help navigating up and down some rocks and ledges, but she was out there taking it all in. I would be concerned about her energy or how the elevation might affect her breathing. But not her. She had no limits. And that’s the way she was with everything. My father even told me that at home sometime before she had her procedure and was hospitalized, that she still would get up and try to grab the broom and sweep and do things. Unbelievable desire.
She was a living miracle, and I wouldn’t really come to realize that until I got older, and I still believe I am learning that now on my own journey. Mom lived enough hardship for 2 lifetimes and yet if you didn’t know her back story, you might not even know it when you met her. And that’s how she lived her life.
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I truly believe that my mother still had a purpose in life. It might not have been the purpose she or anyone else imagined for her, but it is a divine and everlasting purpose. In my eyes, her purpose was and is to teach the human mind, body, and soul the truth about living life.
There is so much to learn from someone that in the eyes of adversity, and hardship, could always see the light. I have said often, how amazing it is that I can rarely if ever, remember a time that my mother complained about anything. I never saw her feel sorry for herself or wonder why she was unfortunate to be the recipient of tough times. The irony is that many of us felt it and let it affect us. I don’t think she wanted that.
The number one thing she wanted in life was to be with and enjoy family. I think everyone here knows that. She was a woman of deep faith and knew that the faith she had would hold her up and keep her and her family strong through tough times.
The number one word I would use to describe Mom would be TOUGH. There is no one that I know of that will ever be as tough as she. I remember a time when I was very young. Mom was driving her and myself home in Delaware. As we made a turn near a small shopping strip that had a 7 eleven and a few other stores, a man in another vehicle cut us off. Boy did I really get to understand the power of my mother in that moment. Little did the man know that he made a mistake when he turned into the shopping strip as my mom followed and parked next to him. She proceeded to get out of the car and made it extremely apparent to him that what he had done was wrong, dangerous and that he was messing with the wrong lady. I admit I was a little nervous, but shocked and impressed at the same time. As she always did, she was protecting her family.
Another person of extreme importance whom without, my mother would not have been with us as long as she was, is my father.
My parents were married for almost 50 years. You really must sit and think about how amazing that is. Marriage in and of itself is a bond of commitment, dedication, everlasting love, and devotion. My father took these values and went above and beyond them without blinking an eye and without ever questioning what he had to do.
He was there at EVERY single appointment, procedure, and situation that would require his assistance. He was the number one caregiver anyone could ask for and he did it with perfection. His devotion to his wife, our mother, is without a doubt one of the most selfless and admirable qualities a human being can have. There would be no outward recognition or reward. They both had to live as a married team together with hardships and they did it with grace.
Even if my father never knew it, we have always been proud of him and the sacrifices he and mom both made. He deserves to know that he did everything and missed nothing. Mom loves him and so do we. He is a shining example of what we should all strive to be with our family.
I have been living my own journey since March 2019. I am so happy that Mom was able to be here to see it. A friend of mine who has authored a book of her own, mentioned to me that one day I should write one about my journey. I have never written a book and wouldn’t begin to know how, but I thought that it was interesting. Maybe one day. She told me that I should title the book “Iron Butterfly”. That name is a very good title, but it wasn’t until recently that I realized that it really encompasses the person that my mother was.
The definition of Iron is a strong, hard magnetic silvery-gray metal, the chemical element of atomic number 26, much used as a material for construction and manufacturing, especially in the form of steel.
The first thing that stands out, is that my mother’s birthday is May 26th, 1950, and she passed on August 26th. The atomic number for Iron is 26. She, like Iron was strong and magnetic.
A butterfly symbolizes transformation, beauty, rebirth, hope, freedom, endurance, and love.
Mom encompassed all these traits and more. She symbolizes a butterfly like no other.
I will always consider her my Iron Butterfly and I hope you will too.
We all love you and will never forget you.