CAN THE MOSQUITO TEACH US HOW TO TRULY LOVE? / {Contemplation & Practice}
Can our relationship to the mosquito be a learning device? Can we learn to love them? Tolerate? Perhaps at least respect them? Each and every one of the 3,500 (ish) different species serves a material purpose. Many don’t ever feed on blood at all. Of the ones that do, it’s always only the females, and only to foster egg production. All feed on nectar. As such, all are pollinators. Their diversity is staggering. There are certain species of orchid that rely on them for their existence. They are astoundingly adept at identifying opportunities and survival niches. We’ve modeled medical needles after their anatomy. They know how to navigate raindrops by letting themselves be absorbed into them as the droplet falls, only to emerge before hitting the ground. The list of wonders about the “lowly” mosquito goes on and on. A simple and brief web search yielded the links in this story, and there are many more.
But perhaps the most interesting thing about mosquitos is why such a tiny insect seems to terrorize so many of us. Could it be that we are unconsciously making them into enemies in order to give us yet another projection of our own inner darkness that we are unaware of – thus serving to keep us from delving into healing what’s really going on? Might they be one of our best teachers for practicing tolerance and taking accountability for absolutely everything our senses seem to report back as “real” – and thereby give us a fantastic reminder it’s up to us to take back projections? Might such considerations give us a “pause opportunity” and invite us to exercise a brief moment of compassion, empathy and understanding for a fellow being perhaps no less deserving of life?
We fear, so we “fight” these little creatures. And then what? The sprays we use to “control them” kill bees and other conventionally beneficial beings. And you can likely guess the rest of this fear-based chain-reaction story. And it is a story. The real and (arguably) only way to shift it to a more joyous plot is to look deeply at our own seemingly individual levels and manifestions of fear and resistance and let them go from the inside. Slowly but surely. Sticking to the practice, following the opportunities “life” gives us. Asking for help from greater forces. The more we practice that kind of “stuff,” the more the world we want to see is reflected back to us. This is the whole enchilada, so to speak. You can choose to resist this, too, if you want. And that would be “normal,” and absolutely fine. Because “the universe” will wait for all of us to come around and do whatever work we unconsciously chose to do – as “crazy” as it might seem to the material existence we find ourselves in. But why wait? The mosquito, and our resistance to it (fear of it) is just a symbol. A divine teacher and a reminder. We don’t have to love it. But might we respect it? Use them to help us remember what’s really going on whenever we are “triggered” and reactive? Might they be an opportunity in disguise to open up and let in the light, by being honest about the dark?
If you’re wondering whether I’m really suggesting that a mosquito is equal to a human, well, I can’t judge that. But what I can do is present this idea as an invitation for us to consider other beings as teachers and mirrors and amazing in their own ways. I've certainly killed hundreds in the past. They still get the best of me sometimes. But even if I kill one or many more in a moment of reactivity or frustration, I hope we can all at least remember to pay attention to what we’re (unconsciously) choosing to do. And if we occasionally shoo one away instead of swatting it, well, that would be sweet too.