The Grasshopper: A Reflection
Mighty Creatures, Radiant Mirrors
Grasshoppers keep “popping” into my life at various times, and they always fill me with wonder.
Their intricate armor, so detailed and purposeful. I really could look at them for hours.
Over a decade ago, I was driving and a bright green grasshopper was hiding in between my exterior mirror and the plastic casing that goes around it. The critter was hanging on for dear life as I sped down the road. When I would stop, he would scope it out and then tuck back in. I pulled over to a grassy place to let him go. I couldn’t bear the thought of him falling in the road after being so vigilant. When I stopped, he climbed on top of the mirror and spent a minute or so adjusting his antennae with his front tarsus (feet, I had to look it up). I couldn’t help but marvel as he so carefully, he tending to his wind-blown antennae and seemingly took time to regroup before moving on.
Several years later, I sat in a field pondering, when I looked down and saw grasshopper sitting next to me. Or maybe, I was sitting next to him. Together, we just were. The wide-universe before us, we sat, resting, breathing. Again, I marveled at the fine details of this sweet creature’s armor and wondered about their spirit and song. I don’t remember who moved on first, just the quiet wholeness between and around us.
Again and again they appear, and every time I have to stop and appreciate these mighty little creatures.
If we are all created by Love, how might I extend same grace, admiration, kindness, space and wonder to myself when I look I the mirror as I do the grasshopper?