As I stood at the kitchen sink washing up the dinner dishes tonight, listening to the icy rain fall outside combined with the running water of the faucet and the clingy-clang of my washings, I happen to discover the tiniest cellar spider, no bigger than your pinkie nail and virtually transparent out of the corner of my eye. Hanging delicately from its web just in front of me, I had to take care to not brush or inadvertently blow it away as I worked to clean the kitchen. Being a former “professional” dishwasher at one of the local, now defunct dining establishments, I have a almost robotic and speedy knack for washing dishes. This nightly task also serves as a zen-like meditation exercise for me, allowing me to be mindful of where I am, but also providing my mind with the ability to wander and ponder what it wishes.
The discovery of my companion at the sink immediately reminded me of how fragile our life is, and how amazingly easy it would have been for me to not even notice the existence of this tiny visitor, and to perhaps erase it without even the slightest regard. Meaning no harm, and perhaps not even without the intelligence to be aware of my intentions, this tiny living thing had come down to check out what I was about at 9:30pm, and perhaps also to enjoy some of the water that the sink provides.
As cliche’ as it sounds, we in Western society have grown accustomed to using December as the month and “season” to open our hearts a bit more. I’ve lately wondered why we can’t do this for all twelve months of the year, and perhaps what the harm would be in doing this. Though it certainly could damage (or improve?) the commercial industry, the thought of consistently making a conscious effort to not take for granted those around us, to keep our hearts open, and to ask nothing in return, is not just what the holidays are about, but what we as humans should be about. Consider what this planet would be like for ourselves and our children and those that share it with us if we lived our lives like this always.
Happy holidays to my readers, and next time you discover a spider in your travels, remember what you’ve read here. Life is fragile, harm no one, and keep your heart open. A little compassion will come around and back to you some day, and you may find yourself living the life you’d like to see if you can keep these things in mind.
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