While on an early morning walk today, my daydreaming came to a screaching halt when I found myself face to face with this dangling inch worm. It was no accident that our paths crossed this morning. This little guy had a life lesson in store for me and I was only glad to take the time and learn it.
You see, little inchy was dangling from a seemingly invisible thread far far far from the big tree of which he came.
I caught myself thinking, "Poor little guy, so far from home!! Wonder if he thinks life will be better down here on this pavement."
And immediately the age old mantra "the grass isn't always greener" came to forefront. Here he was, inching for undoubtedly the entire morning to get this far, only to inevitably learn that life far from his safe haven up there in that tree might not be all it's cracked up to be.
Give him one not-so-chance encounter with an inch-worm obsessed 3 year old whose primary mission in life is to fling worms of any kind from a stick. Or perhaps a not-so-chance encounter with the underside of the neighbors pick up truck tire. In an instant, all that inching...over!
Certainly I'm not advocating that this little fella remain only and forever in the home he's ever known and never attempt to experience the possibilities out there. Afterall, inch worms were given the ability to produce a thread-like substance by which they can hang from...might as well take advantage of the unside down ariel views! But maybe we, like the inch worm, aren't meant to abandon our "places of origin" in the pursuit of life and adventure. Maybe we are meant to keep that tether taut so as to be content with dangling. Maybe today we are exactly where we are meant to be for the moment and we ought not to inch our way out of the abundant joys and blessings that will meet us there.
And immediately the age old mantra "the grass isn't always greener" came to forefront. Here he was, inching for undoubtedly the entire morning to get this far, only to inevitably learn that life far from his safe haven up there in that tree might not be all it's cracked up to be.
Give him one not-so-chance encounter with an inch-worm obsessed 3 year old whose primary mission in life is to fling worms of any kind from a stick. Or perhaps a not-so-chance encounter with the underside of the neighbors pick up truck tire. In an instant, all that inching...over!
Certainly I'm not advocating that this little fella remain only and forever in the home he's ever known and never attempt to experience the possibilities out there. Afterall, inch worms were given the ability to produce a thread-like substance by which they can hang from...might as well take advantage of the unside down ariel views! But maybe we, like the inch worm, aren't meant to abandon our "places of origin" in the pursuit of life and adventure. Maybe we are meant to keep that tether taut so as to be content with dangling. Maybe today we are exactly where we are meant to be for the moment and we ought not to inch our way out of the abundant joys and blessings that will meet us there.
I'm thankful for this chance encounter for it caused me to literally step out of my morning routine and into a moment of appreciation for the little things in life... like my inch long friend!
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