This is the tale of the tiny snail

This is the tale of a tiny snail, and a great big grey-blue humpback whale…

I keep recalling this story that we used to read to my daughter. Aside from being a very sweet story with almost a musical ring to it, it is also symbolic in its own way. The tiny snail dreams of big adventures and far-away lands, riding off into the world on the back of a humpback whale. Eventually, he is able to save the whale by being his own tiny resourceful self.

My daughter enjoyed the story, and I also enjoyed reading it to her. While going through the ups and downs of life, some of our daily routines with kids keep us grounded and keep us going.

I sometimes envision myself as one of the characters in her stories or try to draw inspiration from these children’s books. I have been told that I tend to overthink things. But I see it as a good thing to be introspective, because it is the first step to growth. I like going off into my own fantasy world with these stories, sometimes being drawn back to worldly things by their morals and reflecting within.

As I have realized, I have always been introspective by nature. From a young age, I used to be lost in my own fantasy world, being characters in far off lands and playing out their daily lives. These stories used to be very detailed to the point that I would be able to feel the emotions in them. I used to modify and adapt these characters over the years. I really enjoyed my own personal world and had vowed never to share it with the world. At some level, I was using this parallel life to fill gaps in my real-world life, and to be the person I longed to be.

I can now understand that this was both a positive and a negative thing. It was positive because it shows that I am a creative person who can dream up stories and keep them going, interweaving complexities and different experiences into them. Having an active imagination along with a mind that works a mile a minute can open up endless possibilities. (“like what?”, says the voice of self-doubt but we will put him/her aside for a bit). On the negative side, my fantasy world reflected a deep-seeded insecurity that I had at the time. I felt that my real self was just a shadow of a person, and fantasy-me allowed me to fully spread my wings. I now realize that there is a balance to be found between being confident and at peace with who we are, while at the same time striving for growth.

"The sea is deep and the world is wide!

How I long to sail!",

Said the tiny snail.

-  The Snail and the Whale by Julia Donaldson