R.I.P.

R.I.P.

Hopper, the Grasshopper

Friend of many, Food for Mantis

Died: 10/26/07

In my previous post, I told you of the antics of a grasshopper that was originally caught to be food for Amanda, our resident Praying Mantis. However, it was soon discovered that Hopper, the grasshopper was a bit too large for Amanda to sink her teeth into. For weeks now, Amanda and Hopper have coexisted in the same little habitat. Sometimes peacefully, sometimes not.

Hopper was fun to watch. He would munch on leaves and wheat grass and even on a cornflower that we grew by accident. (Bird seed that sprouted in the flowerbed.) Late at night when the house was quiet and the lights were off in the kitchen, you could hear him jumping around in the jar, bopping into the sides or the top. He always stopped when I went to watch his late night escapades, but I often wondered if he were doing it just to aggravate Amanda, the mantis. Probably, grasshoppers are not of a mind to think about being aggravating, but I just think that idea is funny. The natural antagonist in me is fed by such carnal thoughts, I guess.

On Thursday morning, it was discovered that Hopper wasn't feeling so well. In fact, he was probably feeling a little too much. We found that his leg had been severed and was barely attached by a string (hope that's not too graphic), he had obviously been mortally wounded. His usual resting place was on a stick in the jar or on a flower or wheat grass stalk, but on this fateful morning he was sadly resting on the bottom of the jar. He lingered, barely moving through the day. Death was in the air. Friday, in the wee hours of the morning he breathed his last and died. The kids immediately began preparing for his funeral. How could they make a coffin?

To me, it's just a grasshopper that died. Okay, let's dump him out before he stinks up the jar!

However, to my children, he was a little insect pal, a pet. So, I have to be compassionate and sensitive to how they feel about it. (this is work, mercy is not my gift) Caleb asked, "Mama, are you sorry that Hopper died?" I said "Uh, well, um. I'm sorry that he died because I know he was fun for you and the other children, but I don't really feel sad about his dying". He smiled at me and went off to do something else after that, so, I guess I said the right thing.

They decided to wait and bury him after Brian got home from work, "so he can be here". Fine by me. Finally, around 5:30, Brian got home. Caleb made a coffin out of paper, put Hopper in and taped it up. They were ready for the burial. They asked if I was ready to go out and see it, the funeral. --Why don't you go dig the hole and then I'll come out. I was feeding Emily at the time. Away they went! Ethan to get the shovel, Caleb to get the body, and Sophie to get the rock that would be used as the grave stone. While the boys were outside digging the grave, Sophie came in and wrote on the gravestone. "So they would always remember". After a while, the boys came in and said they were ready. Oh, but first, Sophie was going to play a song for the funeral. She played Taps. (I was, at this point, hurting myself not to laugh too hard. It was really, really hard!) After the song, we went out and the boys put Hopper in the ground and covered him up. For about an hour or so they placed one of their kiddy lawn chairs near the grave...sort of a reflection spot, I guess.

It was all very sweet and sometimes funny (maybe only to me), but it became a wonderful teaching time. Several times as they watched the bugs and talked about what they were doing, they mentioned "Let's just get rid of Hopper, he's boring" or "Hopper is bothering Amanda (the favored insect), let's just let him go". I always told them No, just leave him in there, he's interesting in his own way. It's too cold outside, he would die out there, let's just keep him.

Finally, they stopped mentioning it altogether.

As small of an event as it is, it has brought to mind the age old saying --I never realized what I had until it was taken away.

Small life, big message.