I'm sure you've been enjoying Christmas cookies, wrapping and unwrapping presents, preparing for outlaws...in-laws...cleaning, budgeting, spending....well, maybe it hasn't all been fun and good cheer, which is why you may be finding yourself here. I certainly hope you've had nothing but Christmas miracles this season (I've enjoyed one or two myself!), so I hope the Golden Perspective of Spiders, will help to change your moment around into something more bright! This is a story that my grandmother used to tell my sisters and me. She had these lovely golden beaded spiders that she would hang on the tree every year. I've posted this one once or twice before, but it's a classic we cannot let go. This is a section telling the tale from a book I published on this blog called Providence. If you'd like to see that read, here you go: Providence.
In that space of time the reverend stared at three faux-gold beaded spiders perched atop a mess of silver tensile on the far side of the room. The story of the three spiders briefly popped into the reverend’s head. He was very familiar with the tale of the arachnids being very curious about a tree, which came into their home. From their corner in the living room, they happily watched the family of the home adorn the tree with all sorts of sparkling decorations and candlesticks aglow. Once the family decided that their task had been one well done, the people left the living rooms to adjourn to their beds. The spiders took the opportunity to look at every limb and trinket upon the tree. They oohed at the golden beads. They awed at the knitted angels. But they were most struck and most impressed with the beautiful glass star that crowned the mighty tree. Quite simply, it was the most spectacular thing that the spiders had ever seen. Feeling satisfied by their explorations, the spiders lowered themselves to the ground, only to discover in great horror that they had unintentionally completely covered the entire tree and decorations with their webbing. The spiders began to wail and cry because they thought that they had had ruined the hard and magnificent efforts of the family with their mess of web. They wept from their despair. However, a shimmering light appeared and an angelic voice spoke to the three spiders and he said to them, ‘But, no, look again,’ and in an instant the grey web turned to silver tinsel and the three spiders glittered like gold from their unintended gifts. The tree was not ruined, but changed into something even more great.
The reverend smiled to think of this story, which he told every year to the children of Providence on Christmas Eve with the intended message that no matter how messy or entangled life could sometimes become there is always a chance for a happy ending if one only looks at the situation another way. The changed perspectives of the spiders warmed the reverend's heart even though indeed his present situation still appeared to be very dark.
Merry Christmas everyone!!!! May it be blessed and full of peace!
Until next time dear readers,
Your humble author,
S. Faxon
