Innocent. In the wrong place at the wrong time. Oblivious to his situation, he made it worse by not running away. He remained motionless—hanging precariously from the roof.

“I usually break the legs and kill them.” 

He was stuck: his leg caught in the screen mesh of the soffit.

“I usually break the legs and kill them . . . unintentionally, of course, when I try to move them to a safe place.”

He was stuck. The walkingstick was stuck. We did not dare touch or try to move him. His body was thin and delicate. We did not want to break his legs and kill him.

We left him there—dangling from the roof. 

A member of the Phasmatodea order—meaning phantom—he was not dangerous, but strange. He used camouflage by mimicking nearby plants as a form of protection and could remain stationary for long periods of time, which also helped make him inconspicuous.

I later found out that, symbolically, the walkingstick can represent patience and the ability to remain still and observe. Was that what he was trying to tell us—as he hung next to the entryway so that we had to see him? Did he come with a message for us?

Be patient. Be still and observe your life. As I thought about stillness, this quote by Eckhart Tolle came to mind.

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Wisdom comes with the ability to be still. Just look and just listen. No more is needed. Being still, looking, and listening activates the non-conceptual intelligence within you. Let stillness direct your words and actions.

 — Eckhart Tolle (b. 1948) German-born spiritual teacher and self-help author

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The next day, I went out to see if the walkingstick was still clinging to the soffit. But his spindly body lay in several pieces on the carport below.

He risked, and ultimately gave, his life to bring us this message:

Stop and breathe deeply.

Be an observer.

Step back from daily routines long enough to calm your soul—and without judgment, notice your thoughts, feelings, and experiences.

Be still and observe your life.