Ladybug Wisdom

This morning, I got up to go to my desk, just as I do every morning. And just like every morning, I opened the sliding glass door behind it to let my dog out. All of a sudden, something landed on my arm. Of course, I was taken aback - and when I looked down, I noticed it was a ladybug.

My first thought was "Okay, it's November, shouldn't this ladybug be hibernating or something?"

But then I really looked at it. It was just sitting there. It was a deep orange color and had several spots. Then it started crawling down my arm until it stopped at my wrist, just below my thumb. It sat there a while, so being hospitable, I began talking to it.

"So... where are you from?" I asked.

"Eh, I've been all over." It said, in a tiny, high-pitched voice, which kind of reminded me of the Tweedlebugs on Sesame Street.

"Really?" I said. "How interesting."

"Oh, yes. We bugs do get around. The flying, you know." It said, matter-of-factly.

"So, I guess you've seen a lot of things out there in this big world." I said, quizzically.

"Oh sure, I've seen just about everything there is to see. You just have to get out there, really."

"Well, I've never been anywhere." I said. "I haven't lived my life."

At that point, I think I saw it smile and wink at me.

I continued talking to it, for what seemed like hours. It told me of all the places it had been, all the people it had seen, the good and the bad. About eating aphids, and some of world's most beautiful gardens it had visited. I realized this was a very wise ladybug. It even explained to me that it was a nine-spotted ladybug. I hadn't even known there were different kinds.

Then, it told me why it was here. It had come to die.

At first that saddened me. I had made a new friend. I didn't want it leave now.

The ladybug looked at me. It took a deep breath and smiled. Then it said:

"I've lived my life. I've seen a lot of things. I've been happy, I've been sad. I've had good times, and bad times. And I've kept going strong through all of it. Now it's time to leave this place and move on to whatever is next for me."

Then it looked at me, this time with a more serious look, and said:

"Kristin, do not be afraid to live your life. Make every moment count, for each moment you waste, is a moment you can never get back. Don't be so hard on yourself. Don't say that because you've never been anywhere you haven't lived. There's so much to see just inside your own world. Take a look around, you'll see that everything you need to live a happy life is right within your reach."

And with those words, it flew back outside.

And I realized I hadn't even asked it's name.

But it was a wise ladybug, and I think I'm going to listen to what it said.