I do my morning stretches near the floor-to-ceiling windows that line our balcony.  This morning as I glanced out the window, I saw a rather large beetle on his back frantically thrashing his legs and bobbing his head, desperately trying to turn over and get on with life. My plan was to finish my floor stretches and go out and turn him over with a broom.  Which I did. Except I was too late.  I waited for him to scurry off, but he didn’t move.  I regretted that I hadn't helped right away.

I went to get a plastic bag so I could bury him under some bushes in the garden.  That was the least I could do.  But when I returned, he was gone.  Was he just resting from his ordeal when I thought he was dead?  Or did a bird sweep down and grab him for breakfast.

I’ll never know