a surprise visitor

I love how life gives you little surprises.

take this fella.

this is not the first time we’ve had a visit from a praying mantas (I mean it could be the same one? I don’t know). but the visit usually goes like this:

one day we found this amazing friend hanging out near our back door area. he/she must have been on something that helped them stand out (like a contrasting colour), so we would notice them.

it’s always a surprise that is met with a giant grin and wonderment at friend’s appearance. I mean think about it - it doesn’t happen all the time, so we are not expecting it, it doesn’t have to visit us, it’s a marvellous specimen to behold!

who ever spots friend, will show everyone else that’s around. it’s very important that we all know friend is here to visit and demands our attention. it includes going into the house and hunting all family members down and telling them friend is outside waiting.

then we hang out with friend for a bit and sometimes friend needs to be relocated to a natural part of the yard, instead on the shoe or door it was on. photos are most likely taken, so we remember this gift and can study in detail.

we are a family who loves and welcomes nature and it’s creatures. we are inquisitive and step into our inner child mode to fully appreciate how lucky we are to experience such things in our back yard. we respect what shows it’s self to us and never take it for granted.

every time a surprise visitor (non-human, sorry/not sorry) comes by unexpectedly, we will give it our attention, reminding us we are not the overlords of all things.

i’m an adult, but I know nothing - except that i’m only one thing that shares this place with so many other sentient beings.

who delights you when they come for a surprise visit?