This is Suds today—thorax out, wings on the way, pulling himself toward the life he was made for. After three days landborne, breathing air, dipping in and out of the water, struggling to find the exact place, he finally began to emerge this evening. He stopped eating about 11 days ago, when his adult mouthparts started forming and he could no longer feed with his larval ones. I promised I’d be here. And I was.

Suds emerged. Suds died.

He fought for eight months. I fought with him. Thirteen enclosures. Hour-long naps. Smoke. Mosquitoes. Promises kept.

He didn’t make it to wings. But he made it to me. And through me, to you.

Some miracles don’t fly. They root.

Thank you for witnessing this with me.

Suds #61Dragons #Dragonfly #WildlifeRescue #GriefAndGrace #MiraclesInSmallThings

About the Author

Lisa Loucks-Christenson is an investigative journalist, author, photographer, and ordained minister based in Rochester, Minnesota. She manages multiple digital media platforms, including Rochester Sun Times News, and produces ongoing wildlife and nature documentaries focused on animal behavior, conservation, and stewardship. Her work spans investigative reporting, theological education, and multimedia storytelling, with a particular emphasis on underreported stories and the intersection of faith, justice, and creation care. She has been raising and documenting dragonflies, monarch butterflies, and other wildlife for over eight months as part of her “61 Dragons” and “Lionel: King of the Pool Pond” projects.