One morning I arrived early at Heliotrope and decided to do a bit of much-needed cleanup of the outside plants. Even though it is wonderful tea, the nettle growing through the cracks was out of control. I plucked and listened to the birds and had an overall wonderful time.

Then, my morning tea hit and I had to “go now”. Whizzing into the bathroom and “assuming the position”, I looked between my feet and saw a nice, fat SLUG! There was no slug trail, just a slug! I stifled my scream (not soothing in a healing place!). Could it have been in MY UNDERWEAR?!

There were only three possibilities: a. It WAS! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! or b. It had fallen on my skirt while gardening and just now fell off. or c. it was there to start with. No matter what, I decided it had to be b. or c. (please, please!) – Even though I confess to near-stripping and checking my clothes

I bent over with a huge wad of toilet paper to do the only thing, pick it up and pop it in the loo, but it slowly opened its antennas and trustingly looked around. I almost sensed that it was looking at me.

I gently coaxed it into an empty toilet paper roll and, with arm fully extended, rushed into the clinic and popped it in a jar. I put in a little water and some greens and started to ponder why this creature was brought into my life and so CLOSE to my attention.

I watched it through the day. It had slow, dreamy and relaxing movements, its body actually had beautiful markings and was so vulnerable, its trail was iridescent looking in the sun, it seemed so content to find a little water and some greens that most folk considered weeds… As I wondered about my sanity, waxing poetic over a slug… I still wondered what it came to teach me.

I opened Perek Shirah, the praises and prayers that are sung daily before the Creator by the archetypes of each species. Perek Shirah has unique importance. We are told that “Someone that is busy with Perek Shirah surely is a child of the World to Come.” I went there to see what the Shablul (snail) has to say. The Shabluls song is both a praise and a prayer. It says “Like the snail that melts away, like the stillborn mole that never sees the Sun”. Slugs often seem to melt and then they are gone. Moles are born underground and a stillborn would never see the light. We are told that many things, many lives can just “melt away” as if they never were. And, the Shablul prays that evil intentions and actions will be stillborn and never see the light of day.

I began to think about my life in relation to the slug.

I know that some time, I will melt away. The physical animal that the Creator has given me to use in this World will cease to be needed and melt away. Very few of us even know our Great Grandmother’s maiden name, not to mention what she loved, laughed over and found to be passionately important.

What will my “trail” in life leave behind? Is it a slimy trail filled with unkindness, harsh words that can never be recalled, ignoble deeds? Or, is it a trail of light and sparkle that enhances what is left behind?

Do I see the beauty in what on the surface is ugly and strive to make it into something graceful?

Am I willing to be vulnerable and open to what life brings?

Am I grateful and happy with the basics of life? Can I celebrate my own cup of water and greens?

At the end of the day, I took the jar into the courtyard and gently shook out the slug into a nice green patch of malva with pretty purple flowers. I don’t know if the slug was eaten by a bird and its spark of life is now flying, or if it is slowly starting its night-time munch through the garden.

But, I do know that I enjoyed my day with the slug and hope I can remember some of its lessons. I too pray that my less-than-noble thoughts and intentions be stillborn and never see the light.

With Love,

Shoshana Savyon