When was the last time you saw a dragonfly? Ever had one just pop up in front of your face in a location where you would never expect to see a dragonfly?

It happened to me (again) a few days ago. I had just arrived home and was getting out of my car when a dragonfly whooshed past my face. I looked up to find him hovering a few feet away, looking straight at me. “Oh, hi!”

The dragonfly raced around as if inspecting the property, disappearing and reappearing a few times as I carried my groceries inside. It was alone. There are no water sources nor gardens nearby that dragonflies regularly visit. It hasn’t happened in months, but it is far from my first dragonfly sighting. I have even had them pop in front of my windshield when I am stopped at a red light and/or cruise next to me. (They can fly 35mph.)

Although I have looked up the alleged significance of seeing a dragonfly after previous experiences and knew that they are said to signify good luck, change, and transformation, I decided to research it again… and, this time, I learned a few new fun facts that helped me understand why they say dragonflies symbolize good luck, change, and transformation.

First and foremost, I learned that the “short life” that the dragonfly is said to have – the few months it flies around the world – that is the second phase of its life. The dragonfly lives most of its life (up to five years) under water as a nymph. It molts (sheds its skin) up to twelve times before developing wings. It spends 94% or more of its life going through changes that eventually enable it able to fly.

Secondly, I learned that dragonflies are, if judged by their success as hunters, fiercer than lions. They eat mosquitos and can catch them midair with astonishing accuracy (approx. 95%). As nymphs, they are equally fierce. Sometimes dragonflies bite people. I have had many stare me down (hovering like a helicopter or perched on a branch), but none have ever tried to bite. Little did I know this was additional proof of my good luck.

These two facts combined left me feeling that the dragonfly’s life mirrors that of an artist (or at least this artist) far better than I previously knew. I also feel even more grateful for the many times they’ve stopped by to brighten my day.

Knowing that they probably don’t pop up in front of everyone, I created a video full of ambient tunes that mimic the feeling I get when watching dragonflies, butterflies, and hummingbirds and paired the background music with beautiful dragonfly, butterfly, and hummingbird images for you. Click to watch now.👇