Sloth Love

 

While Amara got to work caring for these most adorable and loveable sloths, it was not just a single affair. The rest of the family also grew more in love with all of these most unique and happy beings. 

I joined Amara in her early morning hikes. Havana helped in the yard with their care and Don hung back making sure all was going okay. He didn't get too close until the last day, when he came in for some sloth hugs, which are the best hugs.

I have heard some say sloths are weird looking. Some local Panamanians historically think they are demonic. I have heard they are aliens as well as remnants of animals from prehistoric times. I refuse to agree with any of that. What I know for sure is that they are loving and kind but also strong and fierce. I also think they have a strong spiritual nature to them. They bring joy and smiles to the face of most people who come to them with an open heart and an open mind. 

I personally love  sloths.  Which means, I may have been a bit influential  in Amara's decision where she would do her school community service but in all honesty it was not a hard sell.  Amara was eager to spend time caring for them and were tickled to be part of that.  I made sure to remind the girls, frequently, just how special of an opportunity it was.  Amara and the rest of us may have been doing giving and serving but we gained so much more in return. We will always be most thankful for this opportunity.

Here are a few of the many photos I took while with these magical, mystical sloths.

Amara & the Sweetest Sloths

One of the purposes of traveling to Panama this past February was so that Amara could do some of her required High School community service hours. She wanted to get a jump on that but with there being a pandemic, it was not that easy a task. We usually travel in February but with a global pandemic, travel overseas was not an option. However, with things sort of returning to to normal, we thought about taking the plunge. But, if we went away for break, I felt we had to find a way to incorporate Amara's community service. Travel is a luxury and I don't want either of the girls to take travel for granted. Thus, doing service work, while having an amazing experience abroad felt like a win-win. 

Four years ago, we met an amazing and inspiring couple, Ursula and Harry, at their guest house, Casa Mariposa, in El Valle de Anton, Panama. We spent a magical few days with them and their rescued sloths. We feel in love with the sloths and came to have deep admiration for this couple who become sloth parents by default. For the past four years, we talked about them and the desire to return.

2018

Ursula and Harry had no idea they would end up the human parents to two adorable, orphaned sloths, Sammy and Dahabie ten years prior. Those two had a baby, who we met when she was 1. Since then they adopted two more, Goldie and Moncherie. They make quite an unusual but extremely loving family! In addition, there are currently 4 other sloths with them but whose contact with humans is limited, due to plans to relocate them back to the wild. Sadly, the other 5 can no longer survive in the wild since they were found and raised since babies by Ursula and Harry.

Ursula and Harry, 2018

Over the years, Ursula and Harry have helped dozens of injured, abused and/or orphaned sloths. They have helped to rehabilitate them and return them to the wild when possible. Sadly, there have been some that had injuries too severe to recover from. Ursula and Harry run their little rescue space on their own; funds from their guest house help to cover some of the costs. But it is mostly the two of them who look after these very special, very loving animals. It is a 24/7 operation. The sloths live in the main house with them. There are ropes and tree branches permanently in place for them to rest and play. They go out in the yard during the day for exercise, fresh air and to do their business (which is only once every few days.) It is an extensive and exhausting act of love towards these often misunderstood creatures. 

The pandemic caused almost all tourism to cease, thus cutting off most income for Casa Mariposa. When it came time to think about traveling and community service Amara and I talked about reaching out to Casa Mariposa to see if they would welcome some help. We did and they did. We then got the okay from Amara's school and we were then set to go. About 4 weeks prior to our departure, Amara set up a gofundme to support the sloths and she later surprised them with the $500 she raised. (which they were most appreciative of.)

We spent 4 days in El Valle, where Amara got up every morning at 6 am to go with Harry on an hour hike to collect plants and flowers that the sloths eat. She would then return to feed the chickens and other animals in their pen. After breakfast, she'd babysit them in the yard, while they climbed high in the trees. Some days, Harry and Amara went to the market in the afternoon, to collect unsellable fruits from the vendors, to bring back for the animals. There were also some teaching moments when Amara helped other guests learn about the sloths as well as play bodyguard, not letting the humans get too close to the sloths. Amara learned a lot about the sloths from Harry on their morning walks and she took great care with them. She even got to clean up poop and wash and wipe a sloth butt! It was a lot of work and attention but it was deeply fulfilling. Sloths are loving, gentle, spiritual animals and it was such a gift that she was able to serve and care for them for those 4 days.

When we left El Valle to carry on with the rest of our time in Panama, we left a piece of us there. While Amara spent almost twenty hours in service, myself and Havana also often helped out. Don was there too but took the time to be more of an observer. 

When we left Amara, Harry told her it was up to her to carry on the care of the sloths when she got older. A tall order but maybe one that may come true. 

Menorahs & Christmas Trees (an unorthodox take on the holidays)

 

The 2021 holidays came and went in what seemed a flash this past year. Which for me, was most welcomed. I may be the one in a million person who does not like the mainstream holiday season. There is some sweetness in setting up a tree and the ornaments that hold memories of travels and experiences or major life events. I do take  some pleasure in witnessing the glee of opening presents but I also loathe the commercialism of what is supposed to be sacred. I  truly detest the materialism of Christmas. I abhor the lie that Jesus (Yeshua) was born in December and the misinformation in that whole story (there were no inns back in the day; the 3 wise men came from India, bring ancient teachings, Jesus was most likely born around the Fall and so on). The truths of the teachings of Yeshua are so far removed from the many translations and have been twisted into dogma and control for two thousand years. If we really did follow Yeshua's teachings, we'd all be a whole different world.

Hanukah, however, feels much more digestible to me. And not because I was raised a Jew. As a Jew, we were always living in the mainstream world but never feeling full a part of. We were part of the world at large, yes, of course. Jews all around my world and the world at large, held positions of power and influence. But we always new we were Jews and Jews were always hated (unconscious bias) by the mainstream. We knew our history and the very real possibility of hate and violence at any given moment (which I personally experienced many times in my childhood.) Every year, come the holidays, when the Mall, local shops, schools, televisions shows started bombarding the masses with the holidays, what always stood out was out commercial it all was and how our holiday, was celebrated much more quietly and subdued. We never got the mainstream hoopla because we were never really part of the mainstream. 

So it is, as an adult, with two children, that when the holidays come, it has been a very fine line that I walk. I want my children to know the truth and I want them to have happy times and to make happy memories of the holidays. Don's family, while not religious, even time together. We have a tradition of a Christmas walk and dinner with some friends. Those things, the time with family and friends, in meaningful ways are what I try to stress each holiday season. With Hanukah, we get together with family as well, lighting the candles, playing the dreidel game and eating homemade latkes and matzo ball soup. Their is always laughter and smiles and good times. Those moments also get reinforced when I talk with the girls about the holidays.

This year, Nana was with with for Hanukah, which was special. We spent Christmas day at home, chilling and enjoying the spoils. And I was thankful that the New Year would soon be arriving and with it another holiday season in the rearview mirror and longer and lighter days in the future. 

A very candid photo!

Singing carols at a senior home with the Girl Scouts.

P A N A M A ~ B A B Y

After two years of no international travel we took the leap in February and said, "Addios California" and off we went. With Covid slowing decreasing in the USA and across many countries (but not all sadly), I had enough ants in my pants to get us moving. It had been two years since we had a new stamp in the old passport and I was so ready. So with sloths in our minds and hearts, as well as tropical sun and sea calling, we packed our carry-on's and headed to Panama for our second time. 

Panama had low covid cases, everyone was wearing masks, many had already had their booster shots and there were no coocoo for coco puff conspiracy theorists running amok. It felt safe and very doable. Amara would spend the first 4 days doing volunteer work with rescued sloths and then we'd explore the Caribbean islands of Bocas and then the cooler inland terrain of Boquette. There were some challenging (and painful) glitches but overall, it was a much, much needed getaway. 

I gave thanks for this most fortunate opportunity every morning, every afternoon and every night before I dozed off to sleep. Even when I lost my wallet, on the first day from the airport and when I had an injury in the Caribbean, on our first day there, resulting in serious facial wounds, I was thankful to the point of daily tears. I was full of DEEP gratitude that our family had the ways and means to make such a journey, especially while still in a global pandemic. We all needed the strong sun to seep into our bones. The winter blues and the on-going pandemic were wearing us down back home (like every other human on the planet-which is where the gratitude lay, knowing we could and did take this sojourn). When we reached Central America, the blue skies, balmy days and culture that was similar to our own were the perfect remedy for our hearts, minds and souls

Here are a few simple photos from the first days. When the depression I had been feeling started to life, I resorted back to my camera to take some better photos. But for now this was all I could muster. 

It was 12:40 AM when our 7 hour flight took off. We were all a bit tired!

can you tell they are tired?

a few of the 'modern' Panama City from the 'old' city.

After 4 months of no fruit, I was over the moon for this green drink with tropical fruits.

A pool with a view.

Casco Viejo, on our first night.