Yule Ramblings #8: The Spiritual One

Grrrr. ROAR. Pfuussshhh! Can you guess our spirit animals?

In our family, each of us has three.

Our process for claiming a creature goes like this: Pay attention to animals that catch your interest. Which fauna do you gravitate toward at the zoo? (Oh, I just GOTTA see the Aussie Kangaroo Exhibit!) When flipping through Nat Geo, which animal's photo, page or passage logs your longest reading time? And while watching Kids Netflix, which anthropomorphized varmint makes you stop, ponder and chuckle?

Notice what you notice.

There are many different schools of thought regarding the concept of spirit animals. But for our family, a spirit animal is a wild creature that we feel some sort of kinship toward.

If this seems a little too woo-woo for you, I get it. But stick with me here.

Because our society expects every individual animal to act predictably in accordance to its species, our culture has compiled a rich and robust catalog of symbolic meanings for animals' preferences and behaviors. And when we talk about "spirit animals," our family is really saying that there are certain characteristics of certain animals that we relate to and admire. And in our charming ignorance, we believe it's the flesh and fur of the physical animal that we are drawn to, not its widely-known and assumed core essence.

So this isn't that supernatural after all, huh? There is something real-as-can-be here, folks. The connection you have to the idea of this animal. That shi- whoops! uhhh. That schtuff is real.

Anyway, over the course of your life, I am certain that you've been interested by (even captivated by) certain animals. And the cause might be unknown to you. But take a moment and think about what intrigues you. Perhaps that parrot is from the logo of a sports team that you used to watch with your pops. Perhaps that penguin is the first "bird" you learned to draw with your Crayolas. Perhaps that piggy was a stuffed cuddle plush gifted to you as a baby, and was your brave companion during thunderstorms.

Here are Colby's animalistic three:

• Bear - Powerful. Only a few animals get to be legitimate constellations, the most prestigious dot-to-dot there is!

• Wolf - Perseverance. Specifically, Colby likes the leader-of-the-pack vibe. The juxtaposition of the free-spirit, that is still highly devoted to its pack. Headstrong Raksha raised Mowgli out of the goodness of her heart.

• Bison - From the earth. Its lead-footed hooves are grounded directly to the earth. Aimless, though it may seem, it roams with utter intent.

Colby is very, very serious about his choices. So serious, in fact, that one of his spirit animals has been invited to assume an esteemed, prominent position near the tippity top of our Christmas tree. All while being decked out in an adorable tartan holiday scarf :)

After three decades on this spinning blue-green rock, my spirit animals have all introduced themselves to me as guides, ever so slightly nudging my thought processes:

• Fox - Quick-witted. Loves being a little cunning and crafty.

• Snow Leopard - Invisibility. Its long tail may seem a little overkill, but it aids the big cat in maintaining balance. The leopard played a significant role in one of my favorite movies, "Walter Mitty."

• Blue Whale - Peace of mind. The graceful giant. One of the world's largest, yet most illusive, creatures.

**It would be an interesting project to combine all three of my spirit animals into one fantastic beast and name it... But alas, I'll save that for another day. (Sounds like an original tattoo idea too :)

My five-year-old was interviewed regarding his spirit animal choices:

• Bunny - "Cause it's furry. And it's nice, too."

• Cheetah - "'It's super fast."

• Orca - "It's a good swimmer in the water. And no one knows where its eyes are."

Pretty rad, Tank. As my son matures, his choices will diversify.

After a while, as we fall into ourselves and develop a better understanding of who we are, I believe that the sacred connections we share with our spirit animals change.

My son has gone through phases where his spirit troupe has included the following: A flying squirrel, a velociraptor, Glitter Boy from Trolls... Even our Weimaraner, Luna (However, I'd argue that she's more of beast-of-burden than spirit-animal.)

Our spirit animals - or at least the soul qualities of our "spirit animals" - well, they meet you where you are.

What's your spirit animal?

Second question, anyone know the onomatopoeia for the sound a bunny makes?