I was sitting, reading peacefully and enjoying the breeze coming from the open doors to our balcony, when I heard a buzzing noise coming from the direction of our wall of windows.

I got up and got the spray bottle of water and a sheet of paper towel. Flies do find their way into the condo, and I’ve gotten into the practice of spritzing them with a little water, which keeps them from flying away, then I gently pick them up in the dampened paper towel, carry them out to the balcony and release them to fly away. I do the same thing with the various spiders, stink bugs and lady bugs that find their way into our home.

But when I got to the window, this time was different. The buzz was coming from a hornet trying to get back outside. To my mind, it seemed angry. I considered giving him the fly treatment for a moment, but the prospect of a nasty sting changed my mind.

I got the vacuum cleaner and fired it up. One wave of the wand, and I felt it THUNK! against the hose and into the canister.

I put the vacuum away and that should have been the end of it, but I guess I’m nuts. I couldn’t help but think about the value of a life in this universe. Most of the universe is lifeless, barren and inhospitable. The only life we can be sure of is right here. And I snuffed a tiny bit of life out. Hornets do a good job keeping pests under control and keeping life in balance. That hornet’s only crime was being in the wrong place and making me uncomfortable. It hadn’t stung me. It might have found it’s own way out. But I killed it and I can’t help but wonder if the universe is just a little diminished by that.