Day 18 "The Spider in the Windowsill"

The Spider in the Windowsill

Deep cleaning my room as a teenager meant cleaning the windowsill for the first time in I don’t know how long.

Only problem was, there was a spider with a perfect funnel home living there.

I did not want to vacuum the poor little thing up, that would kill it!

The little black spider seemed scared, cowering deep in the funnel hole as I looked closely into the tunnel.

Then I thought, if I could just get the spider to listen to me, and not be afraid, I could take it outside and let it go.

The idea seemed preposterous, yet at the same time, why not try? Maybe if I had enough faith, or was sincere enough, the spider would understand me and I could save it.

I held up a paper to the funnel of the web and started talking to the spider.

I said, “I don’t want to hurt you, but I want to clean my room. I want to vacuum all the webs out of my window. If you will come out onto this paper, I will take you outside and you can make a new home. I promise I will not hurt you.”

I even invoked the name of God in my promises, to cover my bases, thinking maybe the spider would understand that better.

I don’t remember if I waited a long time, or just a short while, or if I repeated my promises over and over, it was almost fifty years ago after all, but that little black spider came out onto the piece of paper I was holding and stood very still while I carried it outside.

I felt so much love for the little spider. I felt awe and gratitude that the spider somehow understood me, and trusted me. I wondered about how we hardly begin to understand the world around us, and what is possible.

Felted wool and silk with bead and embroidery embellishments.