How Children's Literature Makes You Less Squeamish

So we have these spider webs out on the side patio right before you walk down the stairs to the street... and they can be so so so beautiful in the evening sunshine.  But just as I was squatting down for a picture on this particular night I watched the creepiness of a spider in action unfold right before my eyes!  Lens.  Whatever.  It was gross!

The poor bee.  ("the poor bee?"  Words I never thought I'd say!)  He didn't know what was coming.  Neither did I!  I was just snapping pictures of the tragedy of this poor guy stuck in a web.  And briefly toying with the idea of getting a stick to set him free.  Cause he was ruining my shot of the web in the sunshine.

But THEN.  Ewwwww!  The spider came out of nowhere and BAM.  Bye-bye bee.  I was even more freaked out at this point.  Kind of wondering why I was still taking pictures.  Kind of in awe.  Mostly grossed out.

So a few days later I started reading the girls Charlotte's Web at bedtime.  Not really because of this whole spider incident.  But because family got it for us for Christmas last year and I had finished reading the Little House series...

" 'It's a miserable inheritance,' said Wilbur, gloomily.  He was sad because his new friend was so bloodthirsty.  'Yes it is,' agreed Charlotte. 'But I can't help it.  I don't know how the first spider in the early days of the world happened to think up this fancy idea of spinning a web, but she did, and it was clever of her, too.  And since then, all of us spiders have had to work the same trick.  It's not a bad pitch, on the whole.' "

Wilbur was merely suffering the doubts and fears that often go with finding a new friend.  In good time he was to discover that he was mistaken about Charlotte.  Underneath her rather bold and cruel exterior, she had a kind heart, and she was to prove loyal and true to the very end.' "

Thank you, bedtime story, for bringing some pleasant light to this creepy situation ;o)