Praying Mantis

I sat outside this morning.  It was cool enough and the sun was not too bright. I was visited by a praying mantis http://www.keepinginsects.com/praying-mantis/.  I will call this insect a her, because she was so graceful, so sweet and so attentive!  She was on me, exploring my clothing, my face (I brushed her off), what I was reading. She moved to me, from me, to the patio table and after about a half hour, she was gone.

She was beautiful. When I spoke to her, she looked inquisitive and thoughtful. She was responsive to my voice. She was lovely. 

I cannot describe how wonderful this interaction was. I was struck with the inquisitiveness of her face. The intelligence. The responsiveness.  I have to wonder about the intelligence of other life forms and how they respond to us, and what they think of what we have done to damage the ecosystems of the earth. And how we captivate life forms for our purpose and use. Which is enslavement.  And yes, we have done that to other humans, so why is it such a stretch that we are doing that to other life forms? 

I am so grateful to have met this praying mantis today. She was lovely.