Farewell, Charlotte

Over the past month, I made a new friend. There was a magnificent spider in a web just outside the door of our garage. Don't get me wrong, I don't particularly care for spiders (they kind of give me the heeby-jeebys), but this one was fascinating. Coming from an area of the world where the majority of spiders we see are no bigger than the tip of my baby finger, she was one of the biggest spiders I had ever seen out of captivity in this area. I wanted to get a picture of her but when I tried, I couldn't get a very clear image.

Charlotte stayed in exactly the same place over the course of the weeks that I watched her. I got in the habit of checking up on her to make sure she was okay every time I left the house and came back into the house. Charlotte was preparing to have herself some babies.

I am not sure the details of how a spider reproduces. I just know that they can have a lot of babies and that sometimes, the mama spider dies after wards. I was kind of hoping to get to see all of Charlotte's little babies spinning from the web and venturing out into the world of Spiderhood. (Picture Charlotte's Web - thousands of tiny spiders spinning on a strand of silky web going out to face adventures unknown). I'm sure that's not how it happens in real life, but I couldn't help but wonder.

Earlier this week, as I was returning to the house, I noticed that Charlotte was gone. I began to wonder whether or not she and her babies were okay or if something got them. I actually felt myself hoping that her babies were okay. Although I probably won't be saying the same thing when they seek refuge by invading my house in the cold winter months.

Witnessing Charlotte in her web brought me to think about the intricate design of God's creation and how each and every creature and species was created with a unique way of reproducing and caring for its young. I am amazed by the creativity, intricacy and complexity of our world. Could that possible come into being by chance? I think not.

"God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good". - Genesis 1:25.