I am totally distracted. I want to write, but the sun is shining and it is 65 degrees out! After the snow last week, this weather is downright irresistible.
And yes, I have been procrastinating. I went for a long walk in the crisp autumn air. Switched out my down vest for a sleeveless tee. Had some lunch. And finally, dragged my laptop out to the patio.
It is lovely out here.
They would say that we are “past peak,” foliage-wise. But that’s okay. The yellows and browns are almost as nice as the bright reds. And with more of the leaves fallen, I am better able to enjoy all the spindly white birch trunks swaying in the breeze.
Ahh.
So, what’s up with the lady bugs? They are everywhere… inside the house and outside in the yard. One is crawling across my computer screen right this second. Another just flew up and landed on my reading glasses.
Which happen to be on my face.
From what I gather, I am not alone. The Internet is loaded with queries from all over and according to Canada’s The National Post, ladybug was the second most popular Google search yesterday.
Some people are concerned, especially since these swarms of ladybugs seem just as happy to be inside your house as outside in the sunlight. They are apparently having a last fling – just like we are – before settling down for a long, cold winter. You just need to decide how comfortable you are with sharing your space in the months ahead with a bunch of hibernating ladybugs…
I’ve got several dozen crawling around my patio doors right now, but I guess I tend to view ladybugs as benign, verging on beneficial.
They eat aphids, which are also known as plant lice. Hooray for ladybugs. And they don’t eat wood, people, or human food. Maybe they’re not so bad. You do, apparently, want to avoid squishing them for any reason. They secrete a foul smelling, staining liquid when abused, so if you really don’t want them around, be polite: Vacuum or sweep them up gently and return them to the great outdoors, in tact.
Ladybugs have been regarded as lucky since medieval times, mostly for their aphid-consuming tendencies. Who wouldn’t want a couple hundred in their garden? In more recent years, they’ve taken on a new role as good-luck symbol for the China adoption community.
Apparently, some years ago, a widespread infestation of ladybugs coincided with a long-anticipated increase in referrals for families waiting to adopt from China. (In adoption terms, a referral is when a waiting child is matched with a waiting family.)
I have two dear friends myself, both of whom have adopted beautiful little girls from China and are each currently waiting, as patiently as possible, for their second referral. If these ladybugs really do portend a speed-up in adoption activity – or even if they just bring hope to anxiously waiting families – then they are okay in my book.
Is your house swarming with ladybugs? Before you show them the door, please say a prayer for all the parents and children waiting right now, for the adoption process to bring them together as a family.
And while you’re in a reflective mood, maybe say a little prayer of thanksgiving for your own family, no matter how it was formed. Okay, now for those ladybugs…
Related Posts:
For more on the subject of adoption, please check out “Totally Single Parenting,” or "Roots and Wings: How to Make Your Children Feel at Home in the Universe."
Recommended Products:
If you would like to teach your children about adoption, autumn is a perfect time: November is National Adoption Month.
To get started, check out one of the many beautiful books on adoption available on Amazon. When my sons were younger, our favorite adoption read was A Mother for Choco, by Keiko Kasa. Enjoy!
Sources:
Coutts, Matthew. "Ladybugs invade Toronto — but don’t squish ‘em!" The National Post.
Dietschy, Lesley. "Ladybugs, Ladybugs, Come to My Garden." Stress Relief by a Simple Life.
Jones, Ph.D., Susan C. and Bogs, Joe. "Multicolored Asian Lady Beetle." Ohio State University Extension.
Kowalski, Travis and Bailey. "Adoption Traditions." The Ladybug Princess.
I love ladybugs, they cleared my tomatoes of aphids a few years ago and I thank them everytime I see them!
Nice post, hope your weather continues for at least a few more weeks!
Paul, thanks for your comment. Wishing you sunshine!
Your ladybugs feel your "distraction" and need to be away from the chore of writing, and have come, as your article evidences, to enliven your spirit, and welcome you in the now changing world, as you have handsomely welcomed them, fellow journey maker.
Ed, thank you for your beautiful words. Bring on the ladybugs!