Monday, October 12, 2009

Things I learned from the web

I've been watching a spider spin a web between two planters out on my balcony all week. Not sure why this beautiful spider chose such an expansive space for this creation (well, compared to her size) but I admired her for attempting such a feat. I knew it would take a long time for her to build such a large web, but she didn't seem to mind...and it was beyond fascinating to watch her as she worked. Taking one step at at time, working intentionally and diligently, she went back and forth and back and forth. She worked for a couple of days on that giant web, slowly and steadily, at what truly became a masterpiece.
And then, she just sat there.
She just sat there in her amazing web.
I admired her for days as she sat there so patiently.
So still. So calm.
Obviously very fragile, I knew the web wasn't going to last very long. Though I was careful as I watered the plants around it, there was no doubt that the wind or a slight rain would be enough to knock down the web, and that beautiful, hard working spider.
Yesterday, when I got home from work, she was gone. Remnants of the web were left hanging from the plants.
And it made me kind of sad.
I wondered if she was sad. Or was she angry? Was she upset that what she worked so hard to build was now gone? Was she off somewhere brooding about how unfair life is?
Nope...
There she was, on the other side of the patio...up in the corner of the roof...working one step at a time, back and forth, back and forth.
Building a new masterpiece.

Inspiration from a spider.

“What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight. Build anyway.”
-Mother Teresa

4 comments:

Lisa Marie said...

LOVE this post. LOVE it.

Zuzana said...

What a beautiful sentiment behind an event that most people do not even notice.
So true, it is about never giving up. The last quote speaks volumes.
A lovely post Julie.;)
xo

PETE Di LALLO said...

Excellent title, but
I bet you can't wait for baseball games to resume...

Why don't you go to the pet food store and buy Charlotte a couple of flies?

BUM said...

Last week a spider made a web on my mailbox. For two days I left the mail alone not wanting to disturb the woven pattern...I finally took a stick and carefolly removed the spider to a nearby plant where she started over.. I guess what's worth doing once is worth doing over..maybe that's why I have 5 kids.....Mom