The Wisdom of Frozen Iguanas

Since our recent cold snap here in south Florida, I’ve been thinking about iguanas falling from trees.  Iguanas are plentiful here, as you can see from the above photo of this distinguished specimen taken  after I rounded the corner behind our house with groceries in both arms.

They are cold-blooded reptiles and rely on external heat to regulate their body temperature, so when the temp dips below their ideal range their metabolism slows down, causing their muscles to stiffen and become immobile. This sometimes leads to them losing their grip and falling from trees. This is called “cold stunning”, and they are not dead, they are simply waiting for the temp to rise so they can recover and be on their way.

My obvious metaphor might be how I, also, find my metabolism slowing down and my muscles stiffening. While that is true, I’ll save that one for later.

I’m thinking of when I’ve been “cold-stunned” by life, when certain stars align and my motivation takes a drastic detour. It’s not that it’s gone, it’s just temporarily frozen. And I trust that.

I trust that the warmth always returns in assorted guises. And it might show up as it does for me in paper-crafting, dollhouse making, or my latest, making a “crankie box.” It might show up after  a long talk with a trusted friend or after allowing yourself time to get quiet enough to hear your own inner wisdom. I also know writing is in there somewhere, it’s just taking a little longer to thaw.

So instead of a bear in hibernation, I offer you a cold-stunned iguana. If you are feeling overwhelmed or depleted as the holidays rapidly approach or afterwards, take solace knowing that it is temporary. It is natural. You are just as much a part of nature as this green guy, and you will come back better than ever.