One of our friends who has written a reflection about Ramadan upon our request is dear Ayşe Şebnem Yeşilkaya. She compares our Ramadan joy to the gaiety of butterflies in spring; our enthusiasm in charity to the flight of butterflies from flower to flower; our refining souls to the elegance of butterflies; and the transitory nature of this season of happiness to the short life of a butterfly:

“The month of Ramadan is the most beautiful of all months. In this month believers remind me of butterflies. We fly to Quran recitations or to taraweeh prayers like swarms of butterflies. We bustle around iftaar and suhoor tables like butterflies. Everybody is as elegant as a butterfly. No one offends or hurts you in this month. This in turn gives you a gracefulness, and you look at the other butterflies and their peaceful excitement with affection. You wish there was more time. Everything has been so beautiful. But you cannot lengthen the butterfly’s life. So you wait for the next spring with longing. Like a butterfly about to leave its cocoon.”