The Visitor

(TW: mention of death) On a Sunday in early October 2025, our dear friend Dylan died. The next day, Jeff left for a work trip. Alone with my thoughts and grief, I was letting our two dogs out in the backyard for our midday break. While the pups were running around in the unusually sunny day, I saw something moving in the grass. It was a praying mantis. It was moving quickly across the grass, towards one side of the fence. ✨ I've always wanted to see a praying mantis, and I never have until this moment.✨ I didn't want the dogs to harm it, so I gently interacted with it and helped move it to a safe space. The praying mantis didn't seem very happy in the one spot. I kept checking in on them and decided to see if it liked the one planter box, which was full of flowers. The praying mantis settled in and seemed very content. Over the next couple of days, I continued to check in on the praying mantis, creating a little shelter for it so it would be kept dry from a rainstorm, safe from birds, etc. I took so many photos of my new friend and spent a lot of time checking in and watching from a distance, noticing how the praying mantis responded to noises the dogs made and the outdoor elements. (I was so invested in it, I was searching online for tips on how to keep a praying mantis alive during the winter). The day Jeff got home, we went out back, and I very excitedly took him to the area that the praying mantis had been living in for a number of days. To my shock, the praying mantis was gone. This piece accompanies two static images, which were all created with the photographs taken during that timeframe, and some 3D scans of flowers from the garden. They are dedicated to our friend Dylan and the mysterious praying mantis who appeared when I needed some company. I can't help but think....in some magical way, that maybe the two are connected.