“Illness isolates; the isolated become invisible; the invisible become forgotten. But the snail…the snail kept my spirit from evaporating.” — Elisabeth Tova Bailey Copy Share Image
“The snail had been a true mentor; its tiny existence had sustained me. Late one winter night I wrote in my journal: A last… — Elisabeth Tova Bailey Copy Share Image
“It seemed far more reasonable to belong to a species that had evolved natural tooth replacement than to belong to one that had developed… — Elisabeth Tova Bailey Copy Share Image
“Those of us with illnesses are the holders of the silent fears of those with good health.” — Elisabeth Tova Bailey Copy Share Image
“The life of a snail is as full of tasty food, comfortable beds of sorts, and a mix of pleasant and not-so-pleasant adventures as… — Elisabeth Tova Bailey Copy Share Image
“There was no woodsy fragrance blowing through my room, and the snail, especially while it lived in the pot of violets, must have been… — Elisabeth Tova Bailey Copy Share Image
“There is a certain depth of illness that is piercing in its isolation: the only rule of existence is uncertainty, and the only movement… — Elisabeth Tova Bailey Copy Share Image
“Given the ease with which health infuses life with meaning and purpose, it is shocking how swiftly illness steals away those certainties.” — Elisabeth Tova Bailey Copy Share Image
“The crucial first step to survival in all organisms is habitat selection. If you get to the right place, everything else is likely to… — Elisabeth Tova Bailey Copy Share Image
“I liked the sound of the word 'snail' every time I said it; the word was as small and simple as the creature itself.” — Elisabeth Tova Bailey Copy Share Image
“Survival often depends on a specific focus: A relationship, a belief, or a hope balanced on the edge of possibility. Or something more ephemeral:… — Elisabeth Tova Bailey Copy Share Image
“Millions of centuries of voyaging via animals, water, and wind brought my snail's family to colonize the woods near where I was staying. It… — Elisabeth Tova Bailey Copy Share Image
“I find that nothing is quite as I remember; in my absence, the world has changed.” — Elisabeth Tova Bailey Copy Share Image
