07/09/2026
I've had a difficult last few days.. Azalea passed away on Monday, July 6th. I'm heartbroken that I didn't have more time with her.
She had been acting different like something was going on with her. She was acting a lot older than what she should have been. I got her into her new palace & at first she explored quite a bit, but then I noticed she would just hang out on the bottom. She started making webbing all over the floor which is grandma behavior. Her last clutch was very small. I wish I had answers, but right now all I can do is grieve her & celebrate the time I had with her.
She was the sweetest spider I've come across & all her babies are growing up with the same sweet chill attitude. I'm thankful knowing that she didn't live out the rest of her life in a cup. She had a name, & a palace that was all hers. I remember how she looked around at her first enclosure when she first arrived.
She was immediately trusting with me. She would watch me each night that I stayed up feeding all her kids. She'd look down at all of them in their nursery cups like she knew where her babies were. I'd show her some of them. I never separated her from her last clutch. I let her stay with her babies as long as she wanted.
She was such a good momma. She would kill mealworms I brought for her & would only eat a little bit then save the rest for the babies. She was the best first momma I could have started out with. I'm so thankful for the last little clutch that she had.
The beauty of spiders is that they teach us that nothing is permanent; everything is a transition. They help us to embrace change. They help us learn how to slow down & take time to enjoy the small things. Because they don't live very long, they teach us to prioritize 'right now', the moment in front of you, so you can make sure you found space for them in your day; in your life. Their quiet presence is comforting when anything else may feel like too much. They reach us in an in-between space that we aren't always aware of. They help us redefine what we're really afraid of & what actually hurts. They help us find creative ways to celebrate them. They love being cared for & we care about being loved, so we make them a priority in the ways that matter most to us. 🖤
