Lobsters, like many creatures subject to nature, have a small survival rate from birth and a tough maturing process. Only 1/10 of 1% of Lobsters survive from birth to adults, that is 10 out of 10,000 eggs.
source: The American Lobster: http://www.parl.ns.ca/lobster/lifecycle.htm
A lobster begins as an egg, then hatches as a small bug-like larva. They bob in the water growing, shedding their soft exo-skeleton through several early stages in a form most of us wouldn’t recognize. In the beginning stages, they use their front appendages to swim. The first molting of the soft shell can take days or even up to a week. They struggle to survive. They go to the light of the surface but dive again into deeper waters to molt. They are easy prey for fish or other sea creatures. From one molting to the next they develop more of the body we are used to seeing, this is within the first month of their life. Now they have claws, a definite body cavity, legs, a segmented abdomen leading to a tail and little swimmerets (swimming legs).
However, the struggle of growing is never fully complete. Even in this adult form the body inside that hard shell continues to grow. Eventually, that body no longer fits comfortably in that old, protective shell. The transition is tough but necessary. The lobster will store calcium in the walls of it’s stomach, it will allow some appendages to shrink, begin to grow a new soft shell. It will take in extra water inside the shell, bend itself into a V-shape until the link between the main body and segmented abdomen splits open. It will then work itself out of it’s old shell. This is a very vulnerable time for the lobster. So it will often stay in or close to it’s burrow. Once the old shell is molted, the calcium from the stomach walls is released into the stomach to be reabsorbed. The lobster will bring in water into it’s body, enlarging it’s body’s mass. The new shell will begin to harden. And the cycle will go on and on.
Watching nature we can learn many lessons. The lesson I see here is that growing out of our old, protective habits or social networks can be tough and even painful. It may be necessary though in order to move forward in our own growth. We may need to go into our burrows at times to protect ourselves during these transitions. What or who makes up your burrow? What or who keeps you feeling safe, secure, supported while you work to grow? Be aware of these people, these habits that protect us as we grow. Employ them when needed, show gratitude for them, and do the same for others when you can. Who sees you as part of their support? How can you support others in a way that doesn’t deplete your own resources? How do you feel when you know others are grateful for you?
14 November 2019
To the Well 