I had just come home from a 12 Step meeting so I was calm and content. I first found my thoughts moving to leaving the spider there or gently picking it up with my bare hands and taking it outside for it would do me no harm. When I came to my senses my self talk included words such as ”Don’t be so stupid, it’s a spider”, “Get rid of it”, “Flush it”, “Squash it”, “Vacuum it” or “Stick it in a jar”. My initial kind reaction got me thinking about my childhood and my dad. My dad was my God, he knew everything, he was always right and I was the apple of his eye. When I was about 4 or 5 years old, I recall my dad showing me a daddy long legs in our bathroom and telling me they won’t hurt me. He proceeded to pick the spider up with his bare hands and take it outside to set it free. He often did that with bugs, lizards and spiders but the only thing I automatically leave be around my house today is the Daddy Long Legs spider. All other creatures meet a timely death! I began to realise how ridiculous my initial reaction to the Daddy Long Legs had been. A spider should be a spider regardless of its size, colour and name. I am certain if it were a black spider (small or large) resting by my pillow, I would be struck down with fear and would remove it in an instant. Kindness wouldn’t enter into the equation. It showed me to what extent children adopt the behaviours and thoughts of their parents. It was now time for me to decide how “I” felt about the Daddy Long Legs. Thirty three years later it was time for me to make a stand and make my own choices in life, figure out my likes and dislikes and who I was inside. A very small incident but such a good example of how important parenting is. (I flushed it by the way!).
I was getting ready for bed one evening and right beside my pillow on the wall sat a Daddy Long Legs spider.
Daddy Long Legs
October 8, 2011 by gwhunting
