Turtle Messengers of Hope
Longtime readers of these weekly stories may remember that my mom sometimes makes her presence known by sending turtle messengers. Around Mother’s Day in 2015, I wrote about taking a late-night beach walk in Fort Lauderdale and encountering a mama sea turtle laying eggs. This was something my mother wanted to see while she was still here in physical form, but sadly, it never happened. Witnessing the mother sea turtle in the middle of her nurturing act of laying eggs helped me feel my mother’s nurturing love that night.
More recently in April of 2023, I had another turtle sighting. On the anniversary of my mom’s passing, I just happened to look outside while a mama turtle from the nearby pond dug a burrow to lay her eggs right outside my living room window. I watched in awe as she laid her eggs, covered them up, and then slipped back into the pond. On that day, I received some difficult news, so it was particularly comforting to feel my mother’s presence.
To my surprise, it happened again this week! On Thursday, a member of the maintenance team power-washed my front door and screened-in patio. I let a few hours pass before opening my door to see if everything had dried. When I did, something moving caught my eye. A turtle slowly emerged from under a hedge in front of my patio, crossed the sidewalk that leads to my door, and then stopped under the hedge on the other side.
I couldn’t believe it! There are turtles in the pond near my apartment, but I’ve never seen one that close to my patio. Had I opened the door one minute sooner or later, I would have missed this little turtle. My mom must have known this was a tough week for her youngest child, so she sent another messenger to remind me of her presence.
So many of my friends and clients are experiencing big challenges right now. And then there's the underlying chaos and uncertainty here in the U.S. and globally that all of us are feeling. It's more important than ever to keep your eyes open for encouraging signs and stories of hope wherever and however they appear. They may not get as much attention in the news or come up as often during conversations, but they are there. We simply have to look for them and want to see them.
I’m not suggesting burying our heads in the sand or doing a “spiritual bypass.” However, I have learned that focusing on love and kindness is much healthier and ultimately more beneficial than focusing on fear and outrage. We are always more effective when we work together with love than when we fight against something with hate. Whenever fear sneaks in, I do my best to ask myself, “What would Love do in this situation?”
If fear has hijacked your thoughts, I would be honored to help you shift back into your right mind (as A Course in Miracles calls it) with a series of Spiritual Coaching Sessions or a private Family Constellations Session. Please look around my website for more information and to book a session. I look forward to helping you return to peace.
Until next time, may messages of hope and encouragement show up for you in miraculous ways.
Look forward, then; in confidence walk with a happy heart that beats in hope and does not pound in fear.
A Course in Miracles ~ T-30.V.10:8