Making a Home

My kitchen window is decorated with a barely visible gossamer veil of spider silk attached at the top of the window, draped down and ending in delicate threads on the garlic, the dish, the windowsill and everything on it. That tiny dot above the garlic is the architect of this mirage. It’s her home.

You’ll find a lot of symbolism around spiders, much of it negative. In one reading, a spider in your kitchen indicates discord in your household, an argument, perhaps. In another, because the kitchen is the center of the home, a spider’s presence indicates approval, completeness.

This spider wasn’t giving up any hints, and generally runs up her web to the top of the window when she senses me at the sink. But she’s got a great setup here, with her huge cobweb over the entire window. I have a light above the window that, when it’s on, attracts insects large and small, and it would seem they are also coming to visit the garlic or she wouldn’t be waiting just above it. And no doubt she not only has to feed herself but she’s also got to produce the next generation, along with building and constantly maintaining her own home.

Soon enough I’ll be adding my window screen and opening and closing the window, which won’t work for her. When that time comes I’ll be sure to touch her web to send her up to the top of things, and then make the changes. Spiders are sensible, and no doubt she’ll find another spot for her home, possibly in just one part of that window. We all make a home somewhere.

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