I Am One With The Sloth

Sloth at Casa Mariposa in El Valle, Panama

Baby sloth, Casa Mariposa, El Valle, Panama

Sloth in El Valle, Panama at Casa Mariposa

Clearly, since it’s been three months since I’ve posted, I’ve been slow. To be honest, I’ve been focused more on the video creation and editing for a few reasons.

One, I know that people are watching! And, they interact, letting me know they like the video or they think I’m dumb or eating too many sugary foods. I don’t even mind the trolls! I know I’m supposed to write just for myself, to hone my craft and be detached from results but it has been discouraging over the years (Years!) to write and write and write . . . just for me.

So, I guess I focused more on where there was some feeling of connection.

But now I’m back, today anyway. I’m going to link to the video because I think it’s pretty awesome. It’s all about the sloth. There’s a lovely couple in El Valle, Panama who intended to run a guest house but ten years ago when they planted their garden and furnished the casita, something unexpected happened. Someone brought them an abandoned sloth to take care of.

Ursula and Harry had no experience taking care of wild animals but they felt they were chosen for the lifelong dedication of caring for injured and abandoned sloths. At this writing, they have eleven! I believe six can be rehomed to the forest but five will be in their care forever because they wouldn’t make it in the wild.

I stayed at their Casa Mariposa for four wonderful nights of sleep and naps and rest. The garden is delightful and I spent my time in a hammock, swinging under the shaded canopy of flowering vines and listening to the water in the quebrada (stream) gently trickle along.

My back had been kind of out of commission for close to two weeks. I was tired of the discomfort and a bit frustrated not to have my mobility to go hiking or even walk the beach.

I do love being able to tune into my body’s natural rhythm and rest when she tells me to rest. I’ve never been a high-energy person, though during the times in my life when activity was fueled by alcohol, I was highly energetic, not wanting to miss anything.

I don’t miss those days. But they are a right of passage for so many of us. Especially when we’re younger and trying to figure things out on our own; who we are, what our lives mean to us, what is our true nature and if we have the confidence and support to grow and create lives that align with our souls.

A sloth-like life aligns with my soul. I love the slow pace of life; walking through the Panama forest and observing the intricate leaf structures and watching the storm clouds roll by in the afternoon while sipping some tea. I enjoy trailing the birds as they come in for a landing on tropical branches and I savor strolling along the water’s edge at the beach, always on the lookout for some pristine beach glass. Of course when it comes to logistics and internet speed, I want it as fast as possible. That’s where the virtue of patience rises to meet me.

Enjoy the sloths in the video. I found them to be quite fascinating to observe.

And maybe you can be like the sloth and take it easy.