June bugs! Growing up in the South, about this time of year, windows, porch lights, and even sidewalks would be covered with little nickel sized brown beetles called June bugs. I can still hear their little exoskeleton wings buzzing as they make their clumsy and erratic flight between porches, streetlights, and other illuminated areas. They are terrible flyers. They will zoom right into walls, screens or windows causing them to bounce and crash to the ground. They often land on their backs, with their wiggly little legs pointing straight up, frantically trying to right their rigid little bodies. I remember laughing at them as they would scurry around.
June bugs are fascinating little creatures. These bumbling and profuse little southerners are only around for a few short weeks. That’s right, they come out just once a year and stay for a handful of days. They spend most of their lives underground. They emerge from the ground in late spring and early summer, typically in June, which is where they get their name. They have a short lifespan, but they make the most of their time. They explore. They fly. They zoom across the moonlit and star speckled summer nights. Once they emerge in their adult form, they live for only two weeks. They lay their eggs which hatch into larvae. The larvae burrow into the soil and emerge as adult June bugs the following year.
Imagine a lifetime lived in just two weeks. No wonder they never become great flyers! But even in their short lifespan, they make a difference. June bugs play a role in maintaining ecological balance by helping to regulate plant populations. Their larvae feed on plant roots and decaying organic matter, helping to break down and recycle nutrients in the soil. This process enriches the soil and makes it more fertile for other plants to grow. June bugs may not be the most glamorous insects, but they play a vital role in maintaining the health and diversity of ecosystems.
Two weeks. That’s incredibly short. Imagine you lived your entire life in 14 days. What would you do? How would you make the biggest impact? I think I would try to fly too. It would be clumsy and imperfect, but I would take to the skies. I would explore. I would do what I could to have the greatest impact. Enjoy every second. Buzz around every glowing wonder and then send my dreams, bundled with hope, care and love, to future generations to enjoy the world the way I did too.
Unlike June bugs, we live significantly more days. But even then, life is short. Things are always changing. We have a few short days to make our indelible mark. Don’t forget to enjoy the wonders of creation! Explore and run with abandon into the mysteries that renew and intrigue us. And while you are there, don’t forget to bundle up some of that magic and send it on into the future for others to enjoy as well.
