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Normally I write these newsletters the morning before I send them out but this week, I will send it as soon as I finish writing. This week has been busier than I expected and my routine has been jumbled.
Do you believe in seeing signs? Or taking a note into how nature/Creator/God communicates with us? I do, I always have, but this new one that happened Monday night surprised me. We went to our normal spot at the creek in the Parklands and just went to sit in the water, no fishing poles or nets or anything, just a towel to sit.
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Frogs on the Trail
The trail was covered tonight; all the walls were leaves and the roof this season is vaulted with still-live beams. Archways and open windows let the breeze and air as sticky as new honey waltz through and hold every part of you. Walking over mud that has cracked, exposed roots, and day old leaves, the frogs jump into the brush, leaving us wondering if that’s an omen for something. We’ve never seen frogs on this trail.
Already feeling like a heated swimming pool, the home of our sunfish and pesky trout welcomes our toes as foreign family. The swirling soapy eddy twirls like the skirt of a ballerina, slow and never stopping. Our bare pale toes enter the swirl, warm to the touch, still cool enough to be enjoyable and pause our beads of sweat for a little while.
Little homes from another era, dozens fit in my palm all at once. A few of the shells still hold color, ombre dips of sun yellow to turquoise green or sea foam to indigo. All of their inhabitants have left, moved on, or passed. Now, tiny ceramic tornados are held in my pocket, being transported back to my home. They’ll live in a jar until our littles can have them spark a new story for their imagination. And maybe my husband will teach them about the wonders of the creeks in Kentucky.
Blue turning green turning brown water flows from river to river. It’s just simply a meeting spot for nones who might like the slower pace of a homey creek. Much like us.
Like bullet holes in a tin roof, the openings in the trees and honeysuckle let in the evening glow that meets our faces every five steps or so on the way out. The spiders feel safe to start spinning, and we met a few already. Even more speckled frogs reveal; I wonder what that might mean.
I truly did not take the time to look up what ‘omen’ could be considered for seeing a handful of frogs, until just now.
“On a biological level, frogs are the ultimate symbol of change. ‘The frog actually symbolizes metamorphosis; it's actually kind of a step above transformation,’ says celebrity psychic and mystical expert Inbaal Honigman.”
“An early example of their significance is found in the ancient beliefs of the Aztecs, where frogs and toads were associated with Tlaloc, the god of rain and fertility…Many Indigenous peoples of North America similarly herald frogs as rainmakers…the Navajo associate frogs with the duality of water: a beacon of healing energy and a destructive force worthy of respect…Many—but not all—cultures revere frogs as symbols of renewal, vitality, and good luck. According to the Chinese, Indigenous North American and Latin American peoples, and Egyptians, seeing a frog can be interpreted as a good omen, signaling prosperity.” - https://www.wellandgood.com/spiritual-meaning-frogs/
I remember asking Caleb if frogs were a ‘good’ animal to run into because all I know about frogs is that they start as eggs and then turn into tadpoles, which freaks me out if I’m being honest. Although I guess they are just the amphibious butterfly. But all I knew in history about frogs was that they were part of the plagues of Egypt in Exodus 8v1-7.
Either way, I’m taking it as a positive sign and blessing. Something for me is coming, things are shifting and I’m not sure what it is or the tangibles of what will change, but it feels like I’m on a dock moving up and down in the wake of another waiting for my boat to come.
And where I stand, I see a boat. I can’t see who is in it, what it looks like or where it’s headed to next, but I see a boat.
And frogs. Lots of frogs.
Until next time,
Madeline
Madeline, it is amazing the discoveries that you and Caleb find at the creek. There is no place else that l could learn about frogs in such a beautiful manner. I will think about your post for sometime. Thank you .
Rachel Mullenbach