My family by animal personality type

This one is just for fun. Please don’t take it too seriously! The other caveat is we are talking about personality here.

My wife Deborah – The Hedgehog

Hedgehogs are shy and generally nervous creatures. They also have two sides to their personality. If they aren’t sure about you, they have sharp prickles and they will use them—and they hurt! Before a hedgehog gets to know you it will seem to just stay in a ball all day and if you poke at it they respond with grumpy defensiveness.

However, if you are patient and get past the defensive stage, hedgehogs have a very soft underbelly and they can be very cuddly. They also like belly rubs and become very curious once they know you. Hedgehogs are also quirky and affectionate.

I’ve always been surprised and amused by how well this describes my wife. Only patient people will ever get to really know her but if they do they will find her affectionate, quirky and charming.

My Daughter Abigail – The Sly Fox

Foxes are beautiful and very interesting creatures but they are fabled to be quite tricky and good at getting what they want from others. The number of times I’ve witnessed her talk to some adult—even strangers—for a little while and walk away with cash, trinkets, candy and even lunch is more than I can count.

Many times I have to intervene and free the other person from their debt when they have promised her things like a boat, a car, a snowmobile, an ATV and a trip to Hawaii.

That said, the proverbial foxes are also very playful, full of energy and they have an insatiable curiosity. They are also not afraid to get into trouble, but only because they are clever enough to get themselves out of it afterward.

Myself – The Mallard Duck

It’s a little weird to talk about yourself but it ties the others together so well. Ducks are eminently practical creatures. They can fly, they can walk (sort of) and they can swim. Pretty much whatever they want to do whenever they want to. When trouble comes they just fly away and aren’t really bothered by much of anything. (Again, don’t take this too literally, in reality, lots of things eat them)

When they get wound up they sound like they are heartily laughing about everything and if you know me about every other sentence I find something funny. They also somehow manage to be simultaneously incredibly goofy looking and also very stately looking, and that’s kind of how I think I look.

My Dad – The Wood Duck

Obviously, I am going to be similar to my dad. The wood duck is very similar but a little more refined. It’s still very practical, finds lots of things entertaining and is able to handle many situations. However, it’s a less goofy duck and is more interested in spending time doing things it likes, rather than just trying everything like the mallard.

My Mom – The Hummingbird

Hummingbirds are earnest, intense and full of boundless energy. They are also caring, gentle and complicated. They are better at multitasking than any other creature and always have a million things going on. Of course, this can make them forgetful of details sometimes, but those are just details anyway.

Hummingbirds are highly intuitive and have a decisive ability to understand all the personalities around them and what they want—assuming those people are ones she is interested in.

My Wife’s Mom – The Honey Bee

Busy, busy, busy the honey bee is always working. Honey bees work hard, get things done and they make lots of useful, tasty, and practical food in the process! Honey bees are excellent at taking care of the home, they make hexagons to keep their food for the winter and they keep good care of the baby bees.

Honey bees are pragmatic creatures and yet they are always around flowers. They appreciate beautiful things, but they don’t have much time to worry about it. Beauty is good but getting that sweet nectar for the baby bees is a lot more important.

My Wife’s Dad – The Badger

Badgers are self-reliant animals and sure of themselves. They are comfortable with who they are and don’t see any need to change anything. They are bold enough to take on pretty much any challenge and they can be particularly ferocious when cornered.

Badgers are able to make difficult situations work and are surprisingly good with tools. They tend to survive continual attacks that would have killed lesser animals many times over and they keep going no matter what.

My Brother Brian – The Owl

You might think I just mean the owl is thoughtful and aloof, and that’s true—but they are also predators! In fact, they are apex predators. Nothing (except for other owls) eats an owl. The reason we don’t think of them that way is they are smart enough not to mess with people.

The owl knows its strengths—and its weaknesses. The owl is not the most talkative but when they do speak they get it exactly right. They are full of wisdom—some if it likely hard-won—and they notice everything. The owl probably knows what you are going to say before you do and if you cross one—watch out! They can be ferocious enemies but also make invaluable friends.

My Brother Matt – The Coyote

The fabled coyote is guided by a sly sense of humor and is incredibly crafty. Their personality can be a bit paradoxical to many as they are guided by motivations foreign to the tamer personality types. The coyote simultaneously lives its life employing a combination of wisdom and careful planning while also being playful, joking and quick to adapt to changing circumstances.

The coyote is comfortable dealing with the darker sides of reality and is able to handle gritty challenges. While on the surface coyotes often appear to be struggling, in reality, their lives are precisely the way they like and they are indeed thriving.

The Next One

There are many other family and friends I intend to cover. Is there anybody you think I should discuss? Anybody whose personality definitely fits an animal? Let me know!