Sunday, October 21, 2012

Thankful for Bugs - No, REALLY I am!


Insects and Bugs.... What's to be thankful for?



Lady Bugs are the angels of the bug world. When one flies to meet me, to sit on my finger and visit for a moment, I cannot help but smile. Even when they swarm in great numbers (although it can be a be unnerving to see so many (even lady) bugs in one place) they are somehow still acceptable to the human space...  A good thing!

Fire Flies glow in the dark! How can I not appreciate the joy of that!...True, the part of them that glows just happens to be their poop....but somehow that doesn't come to mind when I see them shining bright..... Fire flies are a good thing!

Dragon Flies  I don’t really appreciate it when they buzz to close to my head. But generally they are the most polite of all insects – they seem to understand what is their space, and what is mine -- I appreciate that.  Their colors and the fragile film of their wings is lovely…. Dragon flies are a good thing.

Flies in general; I’m still thinking….. Everything God created is good… flies are a good thing (I think)

Butterflies  

 Who does not love a butterfly? Such beauty and grace; gentle creatures that start out as earth bound caterpillars (also loveable in their own squishy way), and then struggle against incredible odds to come forth from a tight constricting cocoon; to fly free!!... Butterflies are a good thing!

 
Bees have a painful sting, and when they buzz around my head threatening to hurt me, I do not like it!
But when they buzz around a flower, and fruit hanging on the vine, they make me smile. And they make me honey! Yum! Their strange amazing hive lifestyle is mesmerizing, their ability to navigate miles to find pollen, and to communicate in mime is fascinating!… Bees are a good thing

Spiders are creepy, with their strange shapes and sizes, 8 legs and hairy bodies; and when they take it upon themselves to visit my home, scurrying across the floor headed for somewhere to hide and then to appear suddenly to make my heart pound and my skin crawl; on my bed, in my bath, on my ceiling…. No they are not welcome in my home!
But when I watch them (from afar) where they belong; outside between the trees and between the bushes, building their bridges and webs, I cannot help but be amazed at their patience and persistence and at the beauty of their artistic creations… Spiders are a good thing.

Ants in my food – no thank you. Ants on my skin – get off!
 But follow the ant as it carries his load; a piece of food twice his size, carry it back to the anthill where hundreds of ants are working in harmony, exerting incredible strength and creating engineering marvels… Ants are a good thing.


Mosquitoes   
Now there’s an insect it’s difficult to find a thank you for! And so I choose to remember a lesson from a mosquito.
I don’t know who said this, but I like it. I learn from it:
 “If you think you are too small, too insignificant to make a great impact; try climbing in bed with a mosquito.”
 Until we talk again, may you find joy in the little things of life. And may you think of yourself as a (good) mosquito, filled with happy juice, going about leaving little bumps of joy here and there – making a great and lasting impact.
Connie
If you haven’t yet taken the THANK YOU CHALLENGE – you can start today!
Order your book @  www.thankyouchallenge.org