The Dragonfly Club

I've been asked many times why I chose the dragonfly as the symbol of my first series. "Is it your favorite animal?" some ask. No, actually, it's not. Turtles are my favorite animals--sea, land, and air ;) (kudos to any Nintendo gamers who get that reference), but dragonflies have always intrigued me. I've admired butterflies for their grace and beauty, but dragonflies--they have character. Unbelievably fast and yet charged with their own array of forms, dragonflies are a mystery in name. And while conducting research on them, I found that dragonflies simply best represent one of the most important themes of my Holly Harper's series--life.

Dragonflies have notoriously short adult lifespans, especially in comparison to how long some can live as larvae or nymphs, so their flight, which is intricate and powerful, is a symbol of living fully and with purpose because let's face it: Humans have notoriously short lifespans, too, in the realm of eternity. What's even a hundred years in comparison to forever? Are we going to waste these feeble beats of our hearts just getting by? Shouldn't we move these hands and feet? Shouldn't we fly?

In most cultures, dragonflies also symbolize change, adaptability, and self-realization. Dragonflies can change direction at break-neck speeds, shifting courses with unbelievable ease. I am a firm believer in learning from the gifts that God has given us, even plants and animals. They reflect the goodness of their creator, even if it doesn't always seem that way. Christians are called to not only acknowledge their gifts, but also to use them, to go to work and get things done. And so, in this particular case, for this particular series, dragonflies represent Christians and Christian potential. Through the grace of God, we can achieve our fullest potential.

And really, what simple shape does a dragonfly make, with its wings pinned so closely together? Maybe it's just me seeing God in the little things, but doesn't it, on some level, resemble a cross?