The hungry but empathetic bird.

The bird in the story was modeled after the Bittern. They're part of the heron family, with many species living in different parts of the world. Their usual habitats are reed beds and other wetlands.

A Bittern doesn’t carry spiritual meaning like many of the other characters in the story. What he does represent is all of us who are in survival mode. We often get so caught up in our daily lives, challenges, and stresses that we lose ourselves and forget what’s truly important—our soul. We forget to nourish it. We lose our inner peace. We have to remember to open our eyes and see the good and the beauty that still exists in the world. It is there—we just sometimes forget.

When the little dragonfly encounters the bird, he reminds him: “There is more to life than just eating or being eaten.”

I think we all have the potential to be any—or all—of the characters.

A little about dragonflies.

✨ Why the Dragonfly? ✨

Most people know what a dragonfly is—but do you know why they’re so loved and symbolically powerful across cultures, since even ancient Egypt?

Here are a few fascinating facts that also connect deeply to the story in The Extraordinary Journey of an Ordinary Dragonfly:

🪷 They’ve been around for millions of years.

Talk about staying power.

🌊 They start life in water.

Dragonflies begin as eggs, then live as nymphs underwater for up to five years, depending on the species—before finally transforming into what we recognize as a dragonfly.

🕊 Their adult lives are brief.

Once fully transformed, they typically live only 1 to 8 weeks. But what they do with that time is… extraordinary.

🚁 They can fly in 6 directions.

Up, down, forward, backward, left, and right—making them one of nature’s most agile fliers.

⚡ They’re fast.

One of the fastest flying insects, with wings that operate independently.

👁 They see almost everything.

Their massive eyes give them a field of vision close to 360 degrees, and they can perceive around 200 images per second (humans see about 60).

💔 They’re under threat.

In 2021, the IUCN reported that 16% of dragonfly and damselfly species are at risk of extinction due to habitat loss in wetlands and rivers.

✨ Their journey is short, wild, transformative, and deeply symbolic. No wonder they represent change, resilience, and purpose—just like the story.

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