"By seriously slowing down, even for a moment, we can become cognizant of the intense privileges and blessings of being awake and alive."
~ Kristi Nelson
A
few days ago I was driving to meet some friends at a tennis court in our community.
A few blocks from home, I spotted something ahead in the middle of the road. Fortunately, I noticed and slowed down. Low to the street and nearly the same color as the pavement, there was a giant land turtle. It would have been easy to miss sighting it but not easy to
hit.
I stopped my car and got out to move it to safety. Since it is a quiet street, for a minute or two no other cars approached. So I was able to sit in the street next to the turtle and observe him.*
When I noticed that he had been injured, my heart opened with love for this creature and I began to speak lovingly to him with words of encouragement. He then stretched out his head, turned it toward me and
blinked his eyes.
I don't know if the reverent connection we made was merely my imagination, but I believe it was real. At least it was for me and think that something passed between us in his awareness of me and my caring. (*Notice how, for me, the turtle changed in my perception from an "it" to a "he.")
Those few intense moments of being present with another living creature made me realize: What an amazing
privilege it is to be alive. How wondrous it is to have a moment of this awareness instead of my usual day-to-day, take-life-for-granted consciousness.
Another car then approached and that driver and I were able to carefully move the giant turtle off the road and onto some grass.
I wondered if he would make it.
I believe he did because when I drove by this morning, the turtle was not there nor was there any evidence that he had been
there.
I pray we all have moments now and then when something occurs that wakes us up to the realization: It is a privilege to be alive!
LIFE. May we be thankful for it and use it well.
And Happy Valentine's Day!
With love,
Charlene
PS - While my turtle encounter
is still affecting me today with a deeper then usual reverence for life, I know from past experience that "ordinary" consciousness eventually returns. So I pray for more such moments for me, for you, for us all. After each little wake up, may our ordinary consciousness return a little higher, a little more awake, a little more aware, a little more reverent, joyful, and loving.
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