Last weekend, I was given the opportunity of a lifetime. I was able to see a real two-toed sloth up close and personal. This is nothing I could have ever dreamed of. I was introduced to Xena and was even able to enter her space. I could have petted her but I assumed I was allergic, since I have allergies to almost every living thing. But I was close with no fence or distraction between us. I watched as this beautiful creature settled in for a nap but not after having a few blueberries first. Xena is such a gentle and sweet animal.

Over the past year or so, I have become obsessed with videos of orphaned sloths or rescued sloths that were bought as pets but did not work out. Sloths are not pets, no matter how bad I want one! This obsession has lead me to believe that my spirit animal is a sloth. Here’s why I think that:

Sloths are considered one of the slowest animals on the planet. My husband considers me one of the slowest animals on the planet and I cannot argue with that. I don’t think that sloths sweat the small stuff or the large stuff or even the medium stuff. The older I get the less I sweat anything. I still worry and obsess but not like when I was younger. I hope to emulate sloths on that level.

Sloths mostly eat leaves when in the wild. There is not a lot of nourishment in leaves so a sloth’s metabolism is really slow. My diet is fairly lacking in nourishment, not because I eat leaves but because I don’t eat healthy food. I was raised on Coke in a glass bottle, Cap’n Crunch and Kit Kat’s. I don’t usually have a whole lot of extra energy to spend. I have to ration out what energy I have.

Sloths sleep 10 to 16 hours a day! Anything that can do that on a consistent basis is most definitely a hero of mine. I generally cannot sleep that long, but oh how I would love to try!

Sloths seem to like fruit when it’s cut up and fed to them. I really don’t like fruit but if it was cut up and fed to me, I might eat it. Nope, cookies are better than fruit.

They are gentle creatures. They don’t go looking for trouble. They seem to just want to exist. Sure, when threatened they get mad but I get the idea they would rather not. I prefer to be a gentle soul. I can get really mad but I would like to never be mad again. Most times in my life when I have acted in anger, I always regret my behavior.

Sloths only poop once a week. That’s one thing I don’t want to emulate.

I bet if sloths had Netflix they would do some serious binge watching…in between naps of course. I love me some binge watching and binge eating!

I see a lot of similar behaviors between sloths and myself. I love their gentle nature and kind spirit. If you haven’t seen a baby sloth video, I recommend watching a few. They renew your faith in the world today. If nothing else, they will brighten your day.

To me, writing a blog was going to be easy. Opinions, I have a lot of them. Interests, I do ok. Knowledge, mostly self-taught…that one worries me a bit. Nothing to say, happens all the time much to my dismay.

When I started this blog all those years ago, I was on a new path for my life. I was changing almost everything I had ever known. Although I have to admit the reflection I see in the mirror these days is not the same one I saw just a few years ago. Along with the grey hairs and the wrinkles are the feelings of having lived a life, one I had previously only dreamed of.

The changes in my life have profoundly changed me inside and out. I think differently now then I did then. I see a wider view then I did before. I feel more and sometimes I curse that, but it is all part of the journey.

Words are always floating around in my head. I just cannot seem to herd them into anything coherent some days. That surprises me. I thought I would always have the words. Words, whether reading them, singing them or writing them, helped a lonely kid not be so afraid. Words helped me in the times of loss and heartbreak. Words never made me feel inadequate. To the contrary, words often brought me to a place where I felt like I wanted to venture out. They gave me courage.

When I started this blog, I wanted to write great things as a way of honoring my old friends, words. I am saddened that I have not been able to do that. Hemingway, that I am not. I guess as I write these words, they are not half bad for a high school dropout. Not terrible for someone who lived mostly in fear of an unknown world.

I guess the words come when one finally stops trying so hard to be profound. Letting the mind clear and refocus seems to be the key. There is so much static and clutter in the world today, even a simple thing like writing a small blog can seem daunting.

Words have never left my side, nor will I leave theirs. I may not always have a revelation to say but, at the very least, I will try to keep peeling the layers back with the intent of always improving myself.

I feel like I am losing the “epic” in my epic journey, but that is actually ok. I am still learning. It is all good.