Matron was a mature Eastern Parson spider (herpyllus ecclesiasticus)
I found her starving and dehydrated on the carpet. She had a meal in her mouth and she did her best to hide under the door. I captured her with the intention of letting her go after a day or so, but decided to keep her when I realised she wasn't very good at surviving.
I didn't know what to keep her in. I'd never done this before and I wasn't really prepared. So... Matron lived in a tupperware container, with a 3d printed version of a tiny niss comic as the lid. I'd lift up the lid multiple times a day, every day, to let fresh air in. I folded a paper towel so she could use it as somewhere to hide. I learnt that Parson spiders were very sensitive to light, and I wanted her to feel safe in the dark.
For a while I would hunt down cobweb spiders (steatoda triangulosa) for her to eat, as that was what was in her mouth when I first found her. Eventually I saved enough money to get her better and regular foods. I moved her to live in a larger tupperware container, and eventually I was able to save more to get her a ventilated habitat.
Over the course of a few weeks, Matron got used to being in the light. She would spend a lot of time in the brightest part of her container - the side facing me. She got accustomed to sudden movements and would no longer get scared of it. In a way, Matron was as tamed as a Parson spider could get.
I loved her as much as anyone can love a pet of any kind. I loved her like you would love a cat or dog. I took care of her to the best of my ability as a complete novice, and somehow she thrived.
I didn't know an emaciated 7-legged spider on the carpet would change the trajectory of my life.
What could I ever say that would be adequate enough?
Her life was so... impactful. Not just for me, but for many people who loved her as well and enjoyed seeing the photos of her and hearing about her. She helped me and others develop a deep love and appreciation for spiders. Throughout her life I wished she knew how much she meant and how great the love for her was, how many lives she touched, how a tiny being like her could mean so much.
She was with me for 1 year and 1 month. She laid 5 egg sacs, all fertile. She taught me so much.
Yesterday, October 16th, I held her for the first time. And it would be the last time. I held her through her passing, and she died in my hand. I held her through it because I didn't want her to be alone. I snot-faced ugly-cried the entire way through. My heart is so broken, yet it is so full of love and gratefulness for this tiny life that I was so fortunate to witness and be a part of.
Rest in peace, my beloved Matron
