DRAGONFLIES

While in Florida, I sat on the screened-in patio (the mosquitos in Florida are large enough to carry you off) and watched not one but three dragonflies run up the screen to escape the rain. My son-in-law thinks they are grosteque looking bugs and I have always been fascinatd by them. That interest caused my husband to purchase a lovely dragonfly broach for me one Christmas; it is still on my favorite coat.

Webster describes the dragonfly as "a long thin flying insect with transparent wings and a shimmering body." Those wings seem iridescent and I find them beautiful. I've never written about them, or this fascination I have with them. I suppose once I thuoght about doing so because recently while going through one of my journals I found information I had collected on my fairy-like winged beauties.

There was the description, a picture of one snipped from a Zoo News Magazine and a snippet of background. It seems that in Japan the dragonfly was once revered to the point that soldiers of old wore them on their helmets or headgear as a symbol of strength. Can you imagine such tiny creatures being entwined with the belief of strength?

I like the other information I made a note of best: Dragonflies encourage us to let go of the past and welcome the winds of change.

I am open for the dragonfly to bless me with such encouragement as I need a change in my writing life--if I make it through next weeks book submission.