I woke up this morning around 10 am. I walked into the kitchen and saw a little note written to my Dad from mom saying she was out at a few stores, the note had the salutation, “Love you babe, Cookie.” I was thirsty and so I walked back to my room and grabbed my thermos that I keep by my bed during the day and night in case I get thirsty and want to chug some water. Because there was still water left from the night before, instead of drinking prolonged distilled water I opened the top and poured the water out into the sink as I turned on the sink’s faucet. I ran cold water inside the cup until I saw a spider hanging down from the faucet. I caught my surprise and so I placed the thermos on the counter and tried to flush the spider down the drain. I watched as the spider, a half an inch long with a light colored body and a tiny yellow belly sack behind his head. Later, I researched the spider to find that it was a Brown Recluse Spider. Regardless of the water being forcefully washed onto the spider, the Brown Recluse moved across to the other side of the sink where it was dry. I followed the faucet to where the spider was and watched as the spider struggled, but never let itself get close to the drain. Then I wondered? A spider in a sink drain would probably be a bad idea so I shut off the water as the spider attempted to climb up the sink to a safe dry location with all its eight legs. The spider tried and tried, but could not get anywhere near the top. The thought of whether to kill or preserve kept going through my mind. I thought maybe I should spare this spider. After all, they kill other nasty bugs and although a large portion of people are fearful of spiders I wasn’t. I’ve killed many spiders in the past, but this morning I wanted to do something different. The curtain drapes of the door to the outside balcony deck were opened. I looked as I saw an opportunity to set this spider free. I grabbed a napkin and placed it inside the sink waiting for the spider to walk onto it. The first few times I tried the spider would touch the white napkin and regress back onto the metal silver sink floor. I began talking to the spider, “Come on man, it’s okay.” After a few tries the spider finally latched onto the napkin as I began walking fast and began unlocking the door to the outside. As I did that, the spider was walking closer to my hand so I turned the napkin around so it was on the opposite side of my hand. “Don’t do that,” I told the spider as I opened the door. I then had issues closing the door with the drape open so I left it slightly open as this was a matter of urgency. When I turned it around the spider hung onto the napkin with its silk webbing. “Come on now, don’t do that, we’re almost there,” I conversed with the spider. There was one silk web string that kept the spider suspended in midair as I positioned the spider to get onto the napkin while walking down the steps to the backyard grass. Once downstairs, I walked to the nearest grass area and placed the napkin down. I watched as the spider hesitantly left the napkin and crawled away into the green abyss. I went upstairs, closed the outside door and threw out the napkin. A feeling of happiness swept over me.

Moral of this story? Sometimes killing isn’t the only answer, response, or solution. Sometimes its best to help something return to its habitat or safer environment, even if it is a hideous looking spider. We kill most of the time because we’re scared, but once I saw that spider struggling in that deep sink pit I thought of all the people struggling at the bottom of this country. Sometimes all it takes is a hand to carry someone out of the depths of despair even if it is a small step. That small step can lead to big change. At some point in our lives we all were that spider, because not only were we at the bottom, but we didn’t give up even if water was being poured over us to push us further into death. We didn’t give up, but we never would have made it out of that sink if it wasn’t for one extending hand or a napkin to place us in a more appropriate position or more appropriate environment. It’s time that society becomes more of the napkin and less of the water. Only then by helping others will we reach our enlightened state of happiness.