Delore's Day

It came to pass that one day Emma found herself sitting in the garden with absolutely nothing to do.
It was a beautiful spring day, the sun was gently shining and it would be a perfect day for.... well.... something!

But, everyone was busy, everyone except Emma that was. Mummy was working, Daddy was in the shed building something that he said little fingers could not yet be around, big brother was doing whatever big brothers do, absolutely everyone was busy, all except Emma.

Emma tried and tried but could think of absolutely nothing she wanted to do, so here she sat, just wishing for something, anything she could fill her day with.

As she sat on the warm grass, a delicate little dragonfly alighted on the rock next to her and looked up at her - its wings sparkling in the sun. "Why do you look so sad Emma?" the little dragonfly asked.

Emma was most surprised as she never realised dragonflies could talk, but quickly (so she didn't seem rude) replied, "that's just it, everyone is busy except me, like you I have nothing to do at all".
"Like me?" the dragonfly asked, "Why I think you must be mistaken I am one of the busiest of all. My name is Delores and I have sooooo much to do on this wondrous day".

"Like what?" Emma asked, wondering what on earth Delores would need to do.

Delores sighed and rested down her wings next to Emma. "You are rather lucky Emma" she explained, "you see, your life is long and you have a great deal of time to do things. Sometimes that is good, but sometimes it leads you to miss how beautiful and important things are"

"For me, my life is short compared to yours, once I have hatched into an adult, my life is only from a few weeks to around two months". "In that time, I need to grow, to explore, to see this wonderful world and everything I can". "I must find a mate and have some babies and complete all I need to before the last sun sinks for me, it is not a great deal of time".

Emma looked at Delores and said "you mean you only live for up to eight weeks, is that it?"
Delores smiled at Emma
"Yes, Emma I am afraid so, but it is not as bad as you think". "All people and animals have different life cycles and times they are on earth, but it is different to each, you see my life feels as long to me as yours does to you, but to you, my life seems very short".

"You have the joy of taking your time to do everything, I do not, I must love every day, enjoy every moment, do as much as I can and squeeze as many adventures into every day as I can"

Delores winked at Emma and continued "when life is precious to you, you make the most of it"

Emma smiled  and jumped up with glee when Delores alighted from her resting rock shouting "come on Emma, the sun is shining we have adventures and discoveries to make, lets go together"

Delores showed Emma the most magical day. She taught her how to imagine the rainbows were floating in water when the suns rays danced on the water fountain. She delighted in watching the mosquito wrigglers do their funny dance in the pond, they giggled together at the funny songs the frogs made up to welcome the new day and both rolled around in laughter as the kookaburras chuckled away in the treetops.

Delores found a mate and laid her eggs in the water to hatch into dragonfly larvae to begin their special day in a few months.

Emma looked at the trees in a different way as they swayed in the breeze and she felt the energies of the universe flow through her on the top of the hill.

Their day was filled with excitement and adventure, even though nothing had really changed except the way they looked at things together.

As the sun grew low over the valley and the day closed, Emma looked sadly at Delores and asked "Is this your last sunset?" she whispered to Delores.

Grinning at her Delores replied "Never can tell you know, no one can, that's why you must live everyday as if is was, one day you'll get it right and if you have done everything you could then the sun will set happily on you".

"Goodnight Emma it's time for you to go in, I can hear your mummy calling to you" Delores smiled
"Goodnight Delores, thank you for showing me a wonderful day"

Emma dashed inside, ate her dinner, bathed and brushed her teeth, kissed everyone goodnight and tucked up in bed thinking about Delores.

She decided to live every day as if it was truly special, just like Delores.

Tomorrow she would plants some vege seeds, dig over the old patch of dirt she wanted to grow a peach tree in, take her puppy for a long walk, make sure her chickens are well fed and happy and be extra sweet and kind to everyone she met (even her brother).

Drifting off to sleep, she whispered goodnight to Delores and thought (just in case it was her last sunset) that she would surely keep a look out for Delores's babies and watch out for how they decided to make the most of their wonderful days too.