When I stop to appreciate nature, most often, something rather magical occurs. I noticed a praying mantis the size of my hand sitting in our driveway. He captured my attention simply because of his size so I sat down near him to enjoy his company. I noticed how his incredibly thin legs kept him tethered to the cement despite the breeze. His body was swaying back and forth yet he remained firmly grounded.Soon after I sat down, he turned his head toward me and looked at me with enormous eyes for several minutes. The message from Praying Mantis was ~ we may get tossed and turned around but we can always be rooted to the ground. To see his large body be supported by thin legs as he swayed in the breeze was a powerful image for me.
As I was watching Praying Mantis, a butterfly landed near my foot. She crawled right up onto the side of my foot and I watched Praying Mantis saunter slowly away into the grass. I was delighted to have this sweet being sitting on my foot! I felt her delicate legs tickling my skin and felt rather giddy with the connection between us. She lost her grasp but quickly came right back onto my foot. She crawled around on my leg while I talked out loud and silently to her, thanking her for the trust she was showing. She flew off briefly as I thanked her again but then, she came right back. I was thrilled! I invited her to crawl onto my hand. She gently placed herself on the tip of my finger where we spent quite some time in a gentle connection. I marveled at the beauty of Butterfly, so many exquisite details creating her body, and even more, such a kindness coming from her soul.
The message from Butterfly was ~ trust and be grounded yet let your wings fly and soar. The blessings we can find every day in nature are remarkable when we stop to acknowledge and be grateful for them.
~This photo was taken right out our front door but is not the same butterfly I shared time with today. These beautiful Painted Lady butterflies are migrating now and I love every chance I get to see them by the dozens.