Tiny Spider

Very early this morning, before dawn, I saw a tiny spider in the kitchen sink.
It appeared to be drinking from a droplet of water; the droplet some thirty
times bigger than the spider's body. Now whether it was drinking or bathing or even exploring, I don't know, but there seemed to be an interest in the water.
Common opinion is that these " things " don't think; they go on instinct alone.
I find that difficult to believe in that this spider seemed to know what it was about, where it was and that I was to be avoided when I moved between it and the light.
Consider the size of its brain .... the spider being only the size of this 0, legs and all. Then consider that this brain is made up of brain cells and the cells are made up of protoplasm, cytoplasm, a nucleus, water, salt, etc. and all of this is not even visible to our naked eye. And yet, this tiny speck of a brain is controlling the movements, actions, reactions to the environment, translating sights and sounds, and mere vibration into meaningful signals. It is allowing the spider to make decisions, at least the most " if, then " basic ones and God only knows what else.
Since this tiny creature has the potential to move about and survive in its world as we do in ours, one wonders if it has the further potentials of thought, emotion, reasoning, etc. Not in a fairytale or cartoon sense, but, rather in a very real sense, either rivaling our own potentials or perhaps surpassing ours in some way known only to nature.
Does it, could it: love, fear, plan, enjoy, communicate, relax, etc. And is there one looking at you right now, wondering what you are doing.
All good things to think on when one has the time and the inclination.

Phil Miller