The image of the Giraffe animal spirit from my Oracle Deck: Animal Spirits of the Apocalypse. 
 
Sometimes what we need most of all is perspective; the ability to step back and look at things objectively. Take a little time and reflect. Don't act hastily. Get all the information before you come to a conclusion.
 
The Giraffe is the tallest of the terrestrial animals. The nine subspecies of Giraffe are found in various regions of Africa. An adult Giraffe grows to about 14 to 18 feet tall and averages about 2600 lbs. Their prehensile tongue is about 18 inches long (if you've never seen a video of a Giraffe cleaning its nose with its tongue, I heartily recommend it).
 
Giraffes keep a loose social hierarchy with no firm or strict rules about who can belong or how many members the group contains or does not contain. Our families don't need to be blood relations. We can create our own groups of those who matter to us. We create Tribe. Welcome those you love and let them leave as they must with all love and blessing.
 
Being able to see where we've been, to understand our past can give us much-needed perspective on who we are and how we ended up where we are. The passing of time helps us see more clearly what has hurt us and perhaps, also, how we can begin to heal.