The Mercy Jar

"The quality of mercy is not strained;
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath. It is twice blest;
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes."
- William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice

I keep an empty jar on a shelf in the bathroom that I think of as the Mercy Jar. I use it for critter rescues.

When I find a bug or spider in the house that's too big to let it stay inside, I capture it in the jar and put the silver lid (not shown) on long enough to transport the bug outside, where I release it on the porch.

This jar has been used in hundreds of rescues to date. When confronted with a large (or small) bug, I try to choose kindness whenever possible. And you just might be surprised how often it is possible.

In this photo: one of the Dancing Girls poses inside the Mercy Jar pretending to be a rescued bug, while the Crittergators look on.

After the photo shoot, the Dancing Girl was released safely onto the porch, just like we do with the critters we rescue. The Dancing Girl's people are from the porch, and they are a kind and nurturing clan: they look out for my rescues when they arrive.

The soundtrack:  one of Peter Gabriel's very best . . . Mercy Street.