She spends the majority of her life underground. Up to 12-17 years for some. A tiny little worm feeding on root sap. Happily slithering in the warm dark belly of Mother Earth. Safe, comfortable and content. Then the day comes when she yearns for something different. Something in her DNA tells her there’s more to life out there. Beyond the comfort of the darkness, there’s a whole new world of trees, light, other creatures and so much more beyond the imagination. So she leisurely crawls out, following the path from root to surface up the trunk to branch. “Whooaaa! It’s so bright here! It’s like a different universe” she thinks. There’s so much more to discover. She wants wings. That old suit doesn’t fit anymore. Slowly but surely, for hours, she strenuously crawls out of the old shell. Completely transformed from an ugly crawler to a beautiful green fairy. Translucent green wings start to unfold from that clumsy old crusty shell. She sits there on top of the open casket that is her old suit. I imagine some apprehension and hesitation going through her mind, yet it’s impossible to go back. The only way is forward.
“Let’s flap these new appendages and see what happens. Holy moly! I’m airborne! What a view from this angle! I hear singing, ear piercingly loud and beautiful. I play with my mates, make love, fly and explore. I want the same for my children. I’m going to lay my eggs on this branch here. May they too, find their own wings one day…”. That very loud ear-piercing summer sounds heard in forests around the globe is cicada’s mating calls.
She lays her eggs in tiny slits in the tree branches. Mission accomplished! Slowly, her green color turns into black. A couple of weeks later, she dies and becomes compost for the trees that fed her throughout her life. The cycle is complete!
When her eggs hatch, baby cicadas fall to the ground and return to the Big Mother, Mother Earth. Seeking safety and nourishment on root sap. For as long as it takes for each and every one to feel that urge. That call of the wild, beckoning her to step beyond safety and comfort into the mystery of the unknown. Discovering its own wings. Learning how to fly, dance, meet the light and make love. Fulfill its destiny with complete abandon. Even if it’s only for a few weeks…
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Unconditional Love 