My kids like to step on them (as does my Dad when he visits) and hear their crunch and glop. I'm no bleeding heart, but I avoid stepping on them and kindly ask my children to do the same. I've been known by my children to say/sing:
"All creatures great and small... The Lord God made them all." (from here)
And then, naturally, Johnny will step on a snail "accidentally."
Yesterday morning, I came across this scene
The water (sprinkler) was coming in fast from the side of the bigger snail. All other snails were nowhere near; they were all on pots and stairs and bushes. I rarely ever see two snails so close together. I ran inside to grab my camera and miraculously they were still there 20 seconds later. You know, since snails are known to be so swift.
Looking at this picture, I think of all kinds of parenting thoughts. Teaching, protection, autocracy, helicopter-mothering, self-sufficiency, connections, unconditional love... ! I could take any one of those thoughts and these unknowing snails become a perfect analogy. Whether or not it is truly a reflection of their actions.
But at that moment before I got my camera, I felt tenderness. I thought of my own children and I felt responsibility and love. That's it. No great story, no distinct thought processes leading to greater understanding. Just small, quick emotions.
We all want to grow by leaps and bounds. We admire those stories of great valor, miraculous change of hearts, huge suffering turning into great enlightenment, overnight success, magic diet pills, cold turkey, colossal epiphanies. And we wait for them to happen to us.
But maybe it's really all a snail's race. The small moments, the fleeting emotions, the light reminders, the slight alterations that make us better beings. Changing and growing by small clicks.
Maybe those snails did teach me something bigger... in seeing that "it" is all smaller.
a
5 wise comments:
I never thought I'd feel a tender feeling for snails (especially the nuisance they are in our yard), but that picture is oddly... cute?
I love your tender heart.
I agree with Alan. Who knew I could look at a picture of snails and think "awww." And it does, oddly, evoke emotion and nurturing instinct.
I can't believe I'm saying this, but that snail picture touches me, too.
Who knew a snail could bring such tender feelings? All creatures, great and small, indeed.
=)
I never thought I would hear Al say "cute", but it actually is.
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