A Pause Before Flight

Recently, I was walking on the beach and noticed a dragonfly with wet wings, stunned into stillness. I reached down and gently offered my fingertip, and it climbed on. It sat quietly on my palm for a while as I walked the shoreline where the waves gently broke at low tide. The dragonfly’s wings were wet, and it seemed content to let them dry in the breeze. I tried to shelter it from large gusts of air as it gently came to, using its front limbs to clear sand from its eyes.

As I continued to walk with this beautiful being resting on my hand, I felt a deep connection to it. How many times in my life had I felt the waves of life crash over my head? Many. I felt a deep kinship there on the beach with this tiny yet mighty being - a creature of air, yet, born of water.

It rested and paused long enough to regain its energy and then suddenly flew off into the breeze. It was a reminder to me that rest is as important as flight. Sometimes we focus too much on our destination or achievements and not enough on simple rest. I took a deep breath at the shore, thanking the dragonfly for its gift of wisdom.

Where in your life are you invited to take a pause, a rest before you move forward?