The Dragonfly

One of the advantages of growing old…one of the things I most adore is how time slows down allowing me to enjoy the wonders around me a little more. Yes, once I entered this unhurried state…perhaps the biggest prize… is the time I have to talk to the trees…the birds…the dolphins… even the dragonflies. She landed on my hand…this dragonfly…then looked up at me and smiled…. “I’ve been flying for a long time.” She said. “Do you mind if I rest on you a while?”? “Not at all.” I said as we walked together on the sand… (actually I did all the walking while she rested in my hand.) I thought there’s so much I can learn from her…so much to understand… until she yawned and asked, “Can you tel me a story?” as she snuggled in my hand. I wasn’t prepared with a story but I said, “I’ll give it a try. This is story about the stars that twinkle in the sky. I bet you didn’t know this little dragonfly…it’s probably something you don’t think about but a star only begins to twinkle when it’s light is about to go out. That’s a sign for an angel to fly by and set that twinkling star free…. to thank her for all the light she gave…then gently toss her to the sea. Sometimes we can see that shooting star…sometimes we catch her final flash as she transforms into a starfish before entering the water with a splash. The dragonfly must have been quite tired…I’m sure my story was boring… but when I looked at my hand…she was sleeping…and I think I heard her snoring. She slept for quite a while as we walked along the beach that day… and when she woke…she thanked me for the story…smiled…then flew away. All the questions I had to ask her…well, I guess they’ll have to keep… I did, however, learn that dragonflies like to listen to a bedtime story before they go to sleep.