Turtle Miracles
Last summer, I was blessed to witness the miracle of nature. A beautiful painted turtle was laying her eggs in my neighbors front yard. She had dug a hole with her hind legs and was laying her eggs inside it. She then methodically used her hind legs to cover over the hole. I can only imagine how long it took her to walk all the way from the pond, across my yard to my neighbor's, and dig this hole. It caused me to reflect on all of the things I have started and not finished in my life and I admired her determination and perseverance.
For those of you who may not know, turtles do not raise their young. They lay their eggs and then leave them. It's like the process of traveling to a suitable spot, creating a nest and laying the eggs is all that their job as "mother" requires. Then they simply walk away, back to the pond, and leave the rest to the forces of nature. Recognizing how exhausting this process must have been for the beautiful creature, I picked her up and returned her to the pond as I had done so many times already that summer with many of her sisters.
The next morning, I could hardly wait to go out and check on my new "turtle babies". As if it was now my responsibility to look after them for the next 2-3 months until the blessed "hatching" occurred. As I walked across my lawn, my heart sank as I could already see the little scattering of broken ping-pong balls around the invaded nest. Sadly, the forces of nature had deemed that these eggs were meant to provide nourishment, rather than hatch into new turtles. I wondered for a moment if the mother turtle would be saddened to know that all of her hard work was for nothing and that her babies would never return to the pond, but it then occurred to me that in the great circle of life, she had done her job. She had risked her life to get to a suitable spot to lay these eggs, not knowing what the outcome would be. Many of her sisters were not so lucky. And next summer, she will undoubtedly make the journey again, accepting that the universe has a plan and what will be, will be.
My friend Pat taught me that in the Native American faith tradition, the earth was created on the turtle's back and she carries it, and sustains it. This experience was a true miracle for me, as I have been blessed to have witnessed this sacred belief first hand.
This morning as I was leaving for work, I saw a turtle in my yard. As I walked closer I could see that she had already started to dig her hole and my heart leapt for joy. Perhaps I am going to be given a second chance to witness this miracle of nature. When I get home I will check the spot and see if there is any indications that beneath the newly disturbed dirt, there might be the beginning of life.
More to come...
For those of you who may not know, turtles do not raise their young. They lay their eggs and then leave them. It's like the process of traveling to a suitable spot, creating a nest and laying the eggs is all that their job as "mother" requires. Then they simply walk away, back to the pond, and leave the rest to the forces of nature. Recognizing how exhausting this process must have been for the beautiful creature, I picked her up and returned her to the pond as I had done so many times already that summer with many of her sisters.
The next morning, I could hardly wait to go out and check on my new "turtle babies". As if it was now my responsibility to look after them for the next 2-3 months until the blessed "hatching" occurred. As I walked across my lawn, my heart sank as I could already see the little scattering of broken ping-pong balls around the invaded nest. Sadly, the forces of nature had deemed that these eggs were meant to provide nourishment, rather than hatch into new turtles. I wondered for a moment if the mother turtle would be saddened to know that all of her hard work was for nothing and that her babies would never return to the pond, but it then occurred to me that in the great circle of life, she had done her job. She had risked her life to get to a suitable spot to lay these eggs, not knowing what the outcome would be. Many of her sisters were not so lucky. And next summer, she will undoubtedly make the journey again, accepting that the universe has a plan and what will be, will be.
My friend Pat taught me that in the Native American faith tradition, the earth was created on the turtle's back and she carries it, and sustains it. This experience was a true miracle for me, as I have been blessed to have witnessed this sacred belief first hand.
This morning as I was leaving for work, I saw a turtle in my yard. As I walked closer I could see that she had already started to dig her hole and my heart leapt for joy. Perhaps I am going to be given a second chance to witness this miracle of nature. When I get home I will check the spot and see if there is any indications that beneath the newly disturbed dirt, there might be the beginning of life.
More to come...
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