Have you ever wondered what the snail does inside its house?
Does it store its dreams and hopes there? Does it keep its love inside delicately striped shell?
Does it withdraw inside itself when cold winds blow? And is it a safe place in which to withstand the assaults of time and life?
We too build up our defenses, our houses to protect ourselves.
And just like the snail, our shells are delicate – easily crushed by an action or a careless word.
In your next encounter with snail or person, take a moment to cherish the beauty and complexity of the lovely shells we all carry.
For more animal encounters, please visit: Pet Pride!
Lady Fi 
Beautiful.
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Lovely post, Fi. 🙂
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I saw a snail the other day and thought about the weight of carrying a house on one’s back. The economy is hitiing home! Ilike your take on the snail!
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It’s cute!
Happy pet pride
purrs
Luna
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I just got over the stress about your backpack”!….makes me feel sick just thinking about the sinking feeling in your tummy when you realised it was not with you!
Love the snail and shell thoughts!
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I do like snails – such interesting patterns on them. Snails will soon be sealing their shells for hibernation, rather like shutting up the (holiday) house for winter.
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I feel bad now for all the snails I have tossed out of the garden – but they leave such big holes in the leaves!
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It is true. We all have some sort of armor or shell we wear. We have to in this day and age. Great post.
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Snails are becoming a pest in my garden! So I never would have though to think of what they do in there shell….
But I think you analogy is really thought inspiring.
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I confess that I find the ‘snail’ in my garden to be pests, but I promise to think of them more generously as your post suggests. Lovely! Thanks for your visit to my ‘kitty’ mosaics this week ;–)
Hugs and blessings,
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What a wonderful and beautiful post, Fi! And such wise words that we would all do well to remember each and every day!
Enjoy!
Sylvia, Sam and Mojo
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I too must admit to throwing them over the patio fence, into I hope greener pastures. They do masses of damage, but in the last few years, I have been throwing more gently.
A beautifully written post, and a wonderful analogy.
Jen
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– ♥ –
A lot of my poetry deals with different kinds of shells, btw.
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I feel sorry for the snail, he /she must be lonely..there is only room for him/her. No room for visitors..just a beautiful mansion that he must carry around..until someone steps on him and releases him to death..where maybe he will be free to have house guests. Just my far sided view:)
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Very nice post Fi – beautiful sentiments. Schnauzer snuggles – JD and Max.
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hey Lady Fi, aren’t they like hermit crabs and ditch shells when they outgrow them, or do their shells grow as they do? I never thought much about it. perhaps it has to do with the genus.
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What a wonderful analogy, and one we do well to remember in our dealings with others, everyday!
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I am definitely of snail material.
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Profound. Lovely. You.
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Lovely post.
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I like to think that the shell has lots of shelves inside bursting with little trinkets. It has a wee sofa and after the long struggle to the leaf the snail retreats into it’s shell for a cuppa 🙂
I love the sentiment of this post!! I think people really need to think about how they treat and label others!!
C x
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I always feel so sad for snails hiding in their fragile shells hoping it will protect them from the careless foot. I wonder if we’re like that, too.
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Ive always liked to pretend that snails actually have a little home set up in there…with tiny furniture.
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So true, I love trying to get people to “come out of their shell”, its always so rewarding.
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A lovely and thoughtful post that stops and makes one think. Thank you for that.
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I need a portable shell, but even more so, a pair of tentacles.
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Lovely thoughts about shells, and the delicate ones we all carry with us.
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I’ve always had an affection for snails. When Ben and I were in college, I would draw snails on his school papers for good luck.
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snail mail? ;-p
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Wonderful post. Thanks for the reminder.
xo
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Very thoughtful, but I don’t think a snail thinks too much. It just does. And the French eat them.
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It would be so convenient to carry my house with me. It would be so much easier to move. Now I want to be a snail!
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What lovely imagery!
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I love this post. We have so many snails in DK and they really do make you stop and think….
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Thanks for this wonderful thought, Lady Fi!
Haven’t seen a snail around my yard. We live in the desert 🙂
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cool picture and interesting thoughts. Here in Oregon we are more likely to find slugs (basically all the slime of snails without the shells). I don’t even like to contemplate them.
(Here through BPOTW)
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Well said!
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