The Dance

My twenty-year-old daughter Brandy c eached me the other night. While we were talking, she asked me if I remembered the day we watched a wanderer spin its web. I told her that I did, and she went on to tell me that the picture was iodine of her fondest childhood memories. She was a little surprised when I told her it was to a fault one of my favorite parenting memoriesOur family consisted of myself, my wife Sharon, Scott, my twelve-year-old stepson, cardinal-year-old Hugh, seven-year-old Brandy, five-year-old Justin, two cats and a Labrador mix named Mitch. Since our flatbed had only a broken yard, the kids and I would take Mitch on pitiful daily walks during the week. On the weekends, whenever possible, we would take him on long walks through our small coastal community.During one of these weekend walks, we saw the spider.It was Sunday afternoon on a beautiful California spring day. The sun was shining temporary hookup the birds added their sweet melodies. The air was filled with that special atmosphere of newness that is unique to spring era.My quatern children, Mitch and I were headed east, down Ninth Street. Ninth Street, in this part of town, is broadly small shops and offices, and most of these are closed on Sundays.Mitch, like all dogs, felt bound to investigate every tree or scrub along the path. As he was inspecting an oleander shrub in search of a small flower shop with an embayment, I noticed the spider scurrying about in the left corner of the alcove.Since most of the spiders I encounter usually just sit around waiting for lunch, I stepped over to investigate this little flurry of activity. It appeared the little fellow was expression a new home. The spider had already built the main bodily structure of its spiral web. The supporting rays of silk were attached to various points on the stucco mole and window casing, and the first few spirals, at the center of the rays, had been completed.I collect the kids into the alcove and showed t hem the web. Mitch, having lost interest in the oleander, settled into the shade of the alcove for a nap. As we watched, the spider began a fascinating dance Its eight legs moved swiftly in a repeating sequence, while its tummy pivoted from one ray to the next spinning silk, all the while wretched in an ever expanding spiral. We proceed to watch the little spider until it reached what it, and vex Nature, determined to be the outer ring of its new home.Every one of us, except Mitch (who was still napping), were enchanted and impressed with the performance. The spider, however, appeared oblivious to our adulation.As we continued our walk, we talked about the spider over and over. When we got back home, all four children unbroken interrupting each other in their eagerness to describe to their mother what they had seen. Hugh did an vehement imitation of the spiders dance, wiggling his fanny to and fro while gesticulating wildly with his arms and legs. His efforts had us all laughi ng until we had tears in our eyes.I have invariably been charmed by the natural world the acrobatics of squirrels, the cooing of pigeons, the soaring flight of stairs of hawks and falcons. Just the sight of a dragonfly sitting still on the end of my fishing pole grips my soul and fascinates my eyes.I had always hoped that I would pass my love of nature on to my children, so that they too would have it off the particular wonder that only nature can inspire. At the time as I watched and listened to my childrens excitement over the simple dance of a small spider, I felt my hope might be proper a reality. Knowing that the memory is still cherished by Brandy long dozen years later I feel sure she, at least, got the lesson right.