I went out early this foggy morning to water the shade garden. Just the least bit of light was poking through the dogwood from the southwest and the most receptive thing it found to light up was this spider’s web. The spider stirred when I bent down to have a closer look, probably interrupting its spinning and weaving. Maybe that’s why there are a couple of holes in the web.I realized that a person could count circles in webs instead of beads, and since this web is so near the ground we might naturally take a prayerful posture just getting close enough to get a good look.
I’d probably never finish counting because I usually get distracted by a mix of wonder and wanting—wonder at the amazingness of creation and a felt need to run get somebody to come and marvel with me. I think most likely at the core of both those distractions is just a raw and poignant gratitude for simple beauty and our capacity to recognize it.
