Just because we pass through dirt doesn’t mean we have to carry it with us.
This morning, while sitting on my bed, I noticed something unusual.
A fly.
In winter.
Now, where I live, winter is not fly season. Yet there it was, sitting comfortably beside me as though it owned the pillow on the left side of my bed.
Out of curiosity, I chose to watch it.
It began vigorously rubbing its front legs together, pausing for a split second before starting again. It flew off with an annoying but brief buzz, only to return moments later and land near my knee on the opposite side of the bed.
Then it cleaned its hind legs and face.
I found myself wondering what the world looks like through a fly’s eyes.
Then it cleaned its wings.
Hind legs. Wings. Hind legs. Eyes.
It was completely absorbed in the task, oblivious to my presence.
I later discovered that flies spend a surprising amount of time grooming themselves. They clean their legs, wings, eyes, and sensory organs to remove dust, dirt, and debris. Their ability to survive depends on keeping themselves clean and functioning properly.
I found that fascinating.
Here was a creature that spends much of its life around dirt, yet it seemed determined not to carry that dirt any longer than necessary.
And then a thought struck me.
Perhaps there is a lesson in that for us.
Human beings have a remarkable ability to hold onto things long after they have served their purpose.
We hold onto old hurts.
Old disappointments.
Old fears.
Old failures.
We replay conversations from years ago.
We relive mistakes that can no longer be changed.
We carry guilt.
We carry shame.
We carry resentment.
We carry baggage.
We carry brokenness and we often bleed over the people around us.
Sometimes we carry our baggage like trophies for so long that we forget what life feels like without the baggage.
The fly, however, does something different.
It lands.
It gets dirty.
It unapologetically takes its fair share.
It cleans itself.
It doesn’t care who’s watching.
Then it moves on.
No drama.
No victim story.
No endless replay of what happened yesterday.
No grudges.
Just a simple act of maintenance.
Reflect.
Clean.
Continue.
The more I thought about it, the more I realised how much energy we spend carrying emotional dirt.
Someone insults us.
We carry it.
Someone disappoints us.
We carry it.
Life doesn’t go according to plan.
We carry it.
Years later, we are still carrying things that no longer belong in our lives.
The fly would probably consider that a very inefficient way to live.
What if we approached our minds the way a fly approaches its wings?
What if we regularly cleaned away:
- negative thinking
- unnecessary worry
- resentment
- bitterness
- fear
Not by pretending these things never happened, but by looking for the lesson in the mess and refusing to allow it to settle permanently within us.
Perhaps that is one of the reasons scripture encourages us to renew our minds. Psalms 51:10 “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
Not once.
Regularly.
Just as dust settles on furniture, life settles on us.
And just as a fly instinctively cleans itself, perhaps we too need moments of intentional reflection, prayer, gratitude, forgiveness, and self-examination.
Not because we are broken.
Because consistent, intentional maintenance matters.
The fly beside me knew something I had overlooked.
Just because you pass through dirt doesn’t mean you have to carry it with you.
Life will always present challenges.
People will disappoint us, suppress us, frustrate us.
We will make mistakes.
Difficult seasons will come and go.
But we can choose what stays with us.
This little winter fly landed beside me for only a few moments before taking off and disappearing from sight.
Yet before it left, it reminded me of something surprisingly profound.
If a fly can stop and clean its feet, perhaps I can stop and clean my mind.
Reflect. Notice what life is trying to teach you.
Clean. Release what no longer belongs.
Continue. Carry forward only what serves you.
Today’s Thought:
The lifespan of a fly may be short.
Then again, so is ours.
All the more reason to travel light.
If you’d like to share your thoughts, you’re welcome to reach me directly at books@eugenemarillier.com
I also publish reflective essays and ongoing writing at: www.eugenemarillier.com
With love always,
Eugene Marillier 🕊️🌿
