They show up in random corners, between fenceposts, and in the woodpiles in our backyards.
Thin, silky lines of thread spun in intricate patterns.
Spiders aren't my favorite creatures, but I am very impressed with their creativity!
A few weeks ago, I finally had the ambition to clean up all of the cobwebs in my basement.
Nearly every corner had a cobweb, and every time I went down there, I would think to myself, "I should really take care of those."
But I didn't.
Guess I wasn't too worried about the spiders. They do eat the mosquitoes, after all.
Then a few weeks ago, I got a new Shop-Vac. And suddenly, I was motivated!
I sucked up 14 spiders and countless cobwebs that day. Scoured the entire basement, even back by the furnace and in the stairway by the door that opens up to the backyard.
No more spiders. No more cobwebs.
It felt good to clean out the corners of my home.
Sometimes I wish I could do the same for the corners of my mind.
I'm pretty sure that there aren't any spiders living up there, but there are cobwebs just the same.
Webs of tangled memories, patterns of fuzzy thoughts and feelings.
They can cloud my thinking and my vision.
I blame them when I lose my car keys, or my glasses, or forget to turn off the light on the back porch for days on end.
Maybe those are necessary though.
Maybe I shouldn't worry about getting rid of those cobwebs.
Maybe I should enjoy them for what they are. Pieces of my life, woven together in an intricate pattern.
A few weeks ago, I spent a beautiful fall day with my niece. We walked around the lake and enjoyed the scenery.
We paused at an ornate wrought-iron fence where there was a gorgeous web spun between the posts.
It glistened in the fading sunlight, reflecting patterns onto the sidewalk.
There were no spiders in sight, which was probably good because I'm guessing it was a pretty big one that spun this web.
I thought about those cobwebs in my mind.
And how they reflect back the patterns of my life, through my thoughts and my actions.
Think I'll keep them around.
Just as long as the spiders don't start crawling around in there 🕷️
Happy Halloween - here's to cobwebs, both the literal and the figurative ones!
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