Turtle Talk

I haven’t seen this creature in a year. Last September and October, for 5 visits to the gardens in a row, it was there at the very same spot. I thought it must be so tame (it looks me right in the eye and holds my gaze) because people were feeding it. But I remembered to take some food a couple of times and it showed no interest. Instead, it continued to stare at me. Today, in the midst of jet noise and sirens crying—all the chaos—the turtle helped me stay present and to remember that there is peace in the moment, you can always take a little pause to float and, when you’re very still and present, you get to see things you might otherwise miss. What a privilege!