It's A Metaphor, Get It?

Love Letters

The Boston Globe

Love Tips, Breakups, Dating, Relationship Tips, Love, Dating And Relationships, Love Advice, Advice, Dating Tips, Marriage Advice, Breakup Advice, Relationship Advice, The Boston Globe, Boston, Society & Culture, Love Letters, Meredith Goldstein, Dating Advice, Letters, Relationships, Boston Globe

4.6 • 1.3K Ratings

🗓️ 1 July 2025

⏱️ 17 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

This season, we’ve tried to answer one big question: Can people change for the better? The answer has been complicated. Basically: sometimes. In our season finale, we recap what we learned. We also visit a magical place called Butterfly Hollow, where caterpillars change into butterflies in real time. What can human learns from a creature that has to change to survive? Plenty, says an expert. Join us for an episode that brings metaphor to life. ___ Love Letters is taking stories for next season! To come on the show, email [email protected] with "my story" in the subject line. For giveaways, behind-the-scenes photos of guests, and extra commentary, sign up for Meredith's newsletter at boston.com/meredith (all lowercase). To leave Meredith a voicemail about any episode of Love Letters, call 401-484-0590. To send Meredith an anonymous question about relationships, go to boston.com/loveletters and hit "send letter." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	A while back, our producer Christine and I went to Butterfly Hollow.
0:06.0	Butterfly Hollow sounds like a place in Narnia, Lord of the Rings, or some wizard situation.
0:12.0	But it's actually just down the street from my house at the Franklin Park Zoo.
0:16.0	It's literally where the butterflies live.
0:19.0	They're kept outside in a screened an area from Memorial Day
0:23.2	to October-ish. Christine and I were there to meet Ed O'Brien, a curator at the zoo, and an expert
0:29.4	in all things butterfly. He's worked at the zoo for more than 30 years. On the day we arrive,
0:37.1	Ed looks so happy to be there, not sick of the zoo at all.
0:40.5	He meets us on a path outside, like we're going to be led into a secret world.
0:44.8	And then he walks us into butterfly hollow.
0:48.1	And it's like magic.
0:50.2	Oh, hello, darling.
0:51.9	Like Disney princesses, with monarchs hovering all around us.
0:56.1	They're so beautiful.
0:57.1	Yeah, they're so good.
0:58.4	There are Pocodati ones, those huge ones, the tiny ones that I fear stepping on.
1:04.6	And the recognizable ones.
1:06.3	This time of year, you can see all the monarchs up there on the screen. It's a nice cool place to come through
1:12.5	and see and be comfortable. Butterfly Hollow is a perfect spot for having a moment, for reflecting.
1:20.3	It's covered by mesh to let air in and keep bad things out. There is beauty everywhere.
1:26.8	And so what better place to reflect on this season than here,
1:30.3	with Ed, a caretaker of the fragile and gorgeous, because we've been speaking about change
	...

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