Upside Down on Unseen Threads

The, larger than a ladybug, spider hangs upside down on her intricate, yet unseen thread, dangling just above the water’s surface. Her extra long legs, three times the length of her slender figure, are barely seen by the naked eye. The one thread she purposefully strides along (still upside down) traverses the entire width of the koi pond. The koi, big and small, swim effortlessly in the waters below.

I am drawn into spider’s finely spun web meant to catch her nurturement, those little flying insects on their way to and from the water’s surface. Those little buggers who we swat at and wiggle away from wincing as we sigh, “Ew, yuck.” Yet for her, it‘s how she lives.

A new world unfolds, and I see other spiders, some smaller than her, maybe even her children, who have spun their webs to span the pond. The whole pond is covered with a microcosm of spider web strands. She drew me back into her trance, calling me to ponder.

So many metaphors to...

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Ladybugs, horse mane, and beach sand

By Ariana Strozzi Mazzucchi 
Lady bug, lady bug, fly away home. I don’t know about you, but I’ve been seeing hundreds of lady bugs. Everywhere I look, in my garden, on my palomino’s golden mane, on my blouse, in my hair and even at Doran Beach ladybugs catch my fancy. Whenever I see them, I smile with joy and my heart relaxes, and the tensions of the world disappear. I fall into a fantasy world of warm light and the sweet scent of pink jasmine folding into me, showing me a peaceful world hidden right before me.
          The message of the lady bug presented herself daily during my 10 day class in Equine Guided Education. Nine women, who had traveled from near and far, came together to listen, to share, to support and to be supported. Old wounds tried to rear their ugly heads, but the ladybugs and a pair of Canadian geese kept interrupting the sadness with their positive display of peace and connection. The...
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If what a heart rock does is lost on you, then what?

By Ariana Strozzi Mazzucchi 2/2022

If a little heart rock shining up at you from a dusty driveway doesn't just make you smile for a moment, where has your happiness gone ?
What if you refrain from picking it up, because someone might see you smiling at a rock that is smaller than a quarter, and it could be dirty. Your logical mind is like a rabid dog barking at your childlike happiness, “Don't show your enthusiasm for that little rock, it’s just gravel on the road. Keep walking and talking.”
Your self doubt shuts you down saying, “Oh my’ what will people think? That is child’s play.” Your analytical mind takes it a step further and gives you an order, "Pretend you don't see it. Just pretend you don't see it. You don't want anyone to know you were distracted by a rock, for goodness sake.”
What if, on the other hand, you stop everything and gather the little rock. The people you are walking with stop and watch...
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