I met Wilson in the jungle. We spent just a few short days together. But in that brief time, Wilson became so much to me. He was a hero. A mentor. A friend. A role model. A sloth.

Okay, mostly a sloth.

When I first caught sight of Wilson, he seemed to be nothing more than a ball of fur wedged into the intersection of two tree branches. This particular tree stood near a gorgeous elevated yoga deck in a place called Imiloa, a retreat center nestled like a jewel into the lush Costa Rican jungle. My...