Spirit Animal of Chipangali- Cris

5/5/22

Last Day Chipangoli

Spirit Animal

Cris

Asher had a great idea of picking a spirit animal of Chipangoli. We did this while we were in the Philippines at Noa Noa Island. We spontaneously picked an ocean fish to be ours. I was the parrot fish, Asher the Puffer, Linden Sweet Lips and Ari was the cute clown fish from Finding Nemo.

Here- wow this is hard to do. There are over 150 different animals here if you include all the birds and cooing guinea pigs! We have divided our work days into groupings of nursery duty with various animals as well as Antelope day (big like the greater Kudos to tiny like the Duikers), Primate days (again small like the young Jasper Vervet monkey in the nursery, to the troops of Vervets, baboons and Samang monkeys, to Carnivore days which of course include the strong prides of Lions and Lionesses – 14 in all, Apollo the hyena, another 2 hyenas in transition, 3 gorgeous keen leopards, Serval cats, crocodiles, eagles, sivets and jackals. The last grouping includes all the farm animals at the Princess Diana center of which once you enter you are greeted by the typical BAAAAHHHHH of the precious, curious sheep right next to Winnie’s cabin. The bunnies and ducklings at the back. How do you pick just one Spirit Animal???

Do I pick a spirit animal that mirrors or parrots me for better or worse? Do I pick a spirit animal who can guide or protect me on this crazy journey called life or one that I admire and strive to be more like? Should it be more humorous - pick an animal in order to laugh at myself and in doing so bring myself and those around me back to solid ground with humble, funny truths. Even the Dalai Lama admits that we all need to laugh at ourselves to heal and be more human with one another.

So methodically, as my brain tends to function, I will need to choose-

Apollo (spotted hyena) and I mirror one another some. Curious but also skeptical of others and life in general. A long neck and cute ears to perceive the world and dance around with sometimes awkward, sometimes graceful gait. Skittish to a fault but growing daily with bravery and facing vulnerabilities. At first Apollo would not even come up to the fence to see us. Now most days he is quite interactive, especially with the children. With Linden and Asher, he carefully dances up to the fence, carefully grabs the stick in his mouth and then dashes away. He wants to befriend others but often chickens out and retreats to his solitary life. I can sense he really enjoys and strives on being an introvert most of the time too! He is always on guard but also very curious and collecting data around him and his cage. And you must admit- he is soo cute- like me! Okay so if I want to choose a spirit animal as a wise guide or mentor I would have to lean toward the brave, bold, invulnerable lion or lioness. Or the keen confident alertness shown in the dark brown eyes of the extra-large eagles we cared for. Just yesterday we worked in the black chested snake eagles cage for several hours- rebuilding his umbrella hut with thatched hays bundles woven on top of a metal skeleton. To observe him in his far corner as we worked reminded me of the utmost confidence and pride exuded by this bird of prey. We see them near Chenango too and we all tend to stop what we are doing on the trails or by the big window to observe their confident graceful ways as well as their beauty of size, strength, and movement. Eagles should be a spirit animal to us all- to fly like an eagle into the sky right? What more do we humans want but to have the freedom, beauty, confidence, and mastery of an eagle! I definitely strive to be like an eagle and have admired them as a child in seeing them sail above Puget Sound in Washington, home in Colorado near Chenango and now here at a closer view for the last 2 weeks volunteering at Chipangoli.

Okay so lastly to pick a spirit animal in the name of self-deprecating humor. To laugh at oneself is such a gift to oneself as well as the world. Laughter brings everyone back down to earth where we belong, where we all remember not to take life and ourselves so seriously. In honesty, this is a hard one for me and I need the practice! I tend to be super hard on myself and maybe, just maybe, self-compassion will sprout from trying more and more to just laugh at myself a little! “Scuba eyes” comes to mind…. Ari and the kids called me “scuba eyes” while we were getting our diving certification in Palawan, Philippines with Jok and Ryan aboard the island hopping banca boat! It became a family joke that I was the caboose/back seat scuba diver who was not enjoying any of the spectacular coral reefs or ocean life but rather keeping expert watch with motherly neurosis and irrational control even at 10 meters below! My eyes were always flared out to maximum size with big white sclera and pupils focused on my prized children and spouses safety. I probably looked more like a said deer in headlights but in my little brain (and yes I do have a tiny head!) - I was in control and on guard, on alert, ready to call the CODE at any moment. So I’m forever “scuba eyes”’. So I’m Jeckel! Asher and I both agree that the most “scuba eyes” looking animal here is the precious, curious, on guard BUSH BABY!!! Jeckel is my funny spirit animal- We share the terrified look, especially if parenting at 10 meters below sea level, with our buggy, large eyed frazzled yet determined look! Bush babies also have the most fascinating looking almost humanoid looking hands that are always grabbing things and pulling things into their cage- tinkering hands maybe like mine as a surgeon in the OR, minor procedures in the clinics inserting IUDS, draining abscessing or dexterous hands for checking cervical dilations or positioning of the babies on Labor and Delivery! They also have the most amazing tail! Cat like and classy! As I am sure mine was too before it was cut off shortly after birth! That is another story to tell but I really do have a very sharp protruding boney tail (ie very prominent coccyx) that my family also likes to tease me about! I chose Jeckel, the bush baby, as my spirit animal of Chipangoli.