Lindsey Morrison Grant shares how a snail inspires her.

Slow and Steady

As I age, I’ve acquired an affinity for turtles, admiring their longevity, determination, and persistence, but mostly that they seem unflappable though humans may disparage their pace. And so it is for the lowly, lowly snail —the bane of the gardener’s existence and nature’s garbageman. Self-identifying among a number of culturally marginalized groups, I’ve noted at my own pace when it doesn’t align with internalized or culturally imposed expectations. Whether that pace is due to self-care, aging, symptomatology, or merely style, when I am mindful to take notice of it, I remind myself of  snail and turtle… their deep wisdom, longevity, persistence, and purpose.