Also, I finished the book Charlotte's Web by E.B. White yesterday, and wanted to share:
For those of you who don't know the story, the spider, Charlotte, has saved the pig Wilbur from being killed for food by writing words about him in her web "Terrific!" to convince the farmer that he is special. She achieves her goal. Here, having just laid her egg sack, she is dying:
Wilbur asks Charlotte if she feels alright, and she says:
“A little tired, perhaps. But I feel peaceful . . . Your future is assured. You will live, secure and safe, Wilbur. Nothing can harm you now. These autumn days will shorten and grow cold. The leaves will shake loose from the trees and fall. Christmas will come, then the snows of winter. You will live to enjoy the beauty of the frozen world . . . Winter will pass, the days will lengthen, the ice will melt in the pasture pond. The song sparrow will return and sing, the frogs will awake, the warm wind will blow again. All these sights and sounds and smells will be yours to enjoy, Wilbur — this lovely world, these precious days . . . "
Charlotte stopped.
A moment later a tear came to Wilbur's eye. "Oh, Charlotte," he said. "To think that when I first met you I thought you were cruel and bloodthirsty!"
When he recovered from his emotion, he spoke again. "Why did you do all this for me? " he asked. "I don't deserve it. I've never done anything for you."
"You have been my friend," replied Charlotte. "That in itself is a tremendous thing. I wove my webs for you because I liked you. After all, what's a life, anyway? We're born, we live a little while, we die. A spider's life can't help being something of a mess, with all this trapping and eating flies. By helping you, perhaps I was trying to lift up my life a trifle. Heaven knows anyone's life can stand a little of that."
Today, enjoy this lovely world, these precious days. Be a friend. Accept friendship. It's okay if your life is a bit of a mess.