Spirit of the Bear

I sometimes dream about grizzly bears.

In these dreams, one is usually trying to get into my house. It is often standing up on the other side of a door, clawing against the wood, breaking glass panes, as I try to lock the deadbolt and keep it out.

Not the most pleasant dream.

But bears and I go way back.

A soul reader told me almost 25 years ago that brown bear is my spirit animal.

”Big, brown bear,“ she said. “Hulking big. Bears know where the healing herbs are.”

I liked this idea. I imagined the deadliest of grizzlies wandering through the woods, sniffing for ginseng and goldenseal, chamomile and peppermint.

A friend sent a bear figurine to me as a gift a few years ago. He’s lying on his back, playfully waving his legs in the air. He sits on my bookshelf reminding me to relax.

This week, as I was collecting materials in preparation for a board retreat, I grabbed the bear.

I was gathering a few dozen items for an exercise: a rubber duck; sticky notes; a calculator; a coin that says “Better Together”; a blank journal; a screwdriver; a magnifying glass. The assignment at the end of the day would be for attendees to select an object off the table that represented a skill or talent they felt they could bring to the board or to the organization’s next strategic plan.

I almost didn’t take the bear out of the bag.

I was worried someone might think it was a weird option. Attendees would likely take the deck of cards, the eraser, the box of senior mints, the flashlight, or the ruler. But on a whim, at the last minute, I put the bear gently on the table with the other objects.

In the end, the bear was one of the first things chosen.

The person who grabbed the bear later said, I took the bear right away. I just love bears. They are strong, and they have a grounding presence.

Attendees then shared their key takeaway for the day and why they chose the object they did.

But Bear was not finished with me yet.

Later that week, on my way to the airport for another work trip, my boyfriend and I saw a black bear cub run up the hill next to the road. It is the first time in 12 years living on this road that we have ever seen a bear.

And then a few hours later, at the airport, a guy brushed by me who had a sweatshirt with a multicolored bear on it.

I said, “Okay, okay! What are you trying to tell me, Bear?”

If an animal shows up again and again for you in a short period of time, do you ask what message it is bringing to you?

They say bear is about self care. When bear shows up, it’s often a signal that it’s time for you for healing—either of yourself or others.

The grizzly bear is also about protection—bear can bring strength and confidence and the courage to stand against adversity. But it’s a good sign to be cautious of your own assertiveness, or aggressiveness. Okay, Bear. I hear you.

When I was about three or four, the Eckerts—our neighbors down the street—had a bear rug. It was spread out on the floor in their library, a giant head all the way to four legs with 3-inch claws. My siblings and I were fascinated by its permanently open mouth full of growling teeth. Every time we went over there to swim in their pool, we would go in and visit him. We would even try to slide down his head.

Then, too, I knew Bear was not just about power and brute force. Bears are not just about being ready for the next battle or to be a good fisherman when the salmon start running.

Bear is about rest. Bear is about play, too.