My PsA Spirit Animal Is a Cross Between a Snail and a Road Runner

I recently ran across a silly Facebook quiz saying that it would tell me what my spirit animal was. I didn’t bother taking it because I already know what it is and there is no way that Facebook would get it right.

My spirit animal is not a typical animal. In fact it isn’t just one. Mine is a hybrid of two very different creatures. The funny thing is that I was nothing like either one before I became chronically ill.

Slow motion

The first half of my spirit animal exhibits the traits of a snail. When I am flaring, I have to take life at a much slower pace than my friends and family. What they may be able to accomplish in a few hours, may take me days or weeks to finish. While annoying to all, that slower pace prevents additional injuries and reduces my risk of an increased pain level. Living in the slow lane also allows me to make sure I am doing things right or that I am giving a project the attention that it needs. Accepting this slower speed also makes it easier to cruise through my days.

Varoom- speeding ahead

Whoa! Slow down!! When my pain is well managed I turn into a road runner. I possess their speed and I am constantly on the run. I can’t say that this was the result of many years of living in pain, because I have been living a life of feast or famine since my symptoms began presenting themselves all the way back in 1999. Never knowing how long the good times are going to last feeds my frenzy of getting as much done as I possibly can while I can.

With my pain well managed I frantically try to make up for what I couldn’t do while I was down. I try to catch up with the people I didn’t have time or energy for while flaring. Having energy for people includes emotional strength. There are some people I can deal with when I am strong, but will fall deeper into despair if they are around during my weaker moments.

Getting ahead before the next flare hits

Last but not least, I try to get ahead before the next flare hits. This is one reason I gave up on trying to follow a traditional schedule for just about anything. Holidays are celebrated when I am able to whoop it up. Sometimes on the specified date, other times I celebrate the week before or after. If I have the energy to decorate my house for Christmas in July, I do it! I would rather be ready before the holiday season hits then to run out of energy when the time comes.

In the past two years I came close to embodying a spirit animal that was calm, playful, and didn’t have to stress over having enough time and energy to do what I needed. Then I was hit with a new health issue and I am once again bouncing back and forth through life like a snail and road runner.

Do you relate to one animal or are their multiple that define you too? If so, which ones and why?