It has been a few days already since my turtle pet was gone, swept away by the flood. Today, a first cousin came by to our house and informed me that he saw my turtle in the irrigation, so we followed him and we ended saw a turtle stuck inside with the frogs. It was difficult to reach the turtle so my mother asked me to look for a stick to pull the turtle out, I accidentally tripped over in the irrigation that cause my feet to bleed. The stick didn’t help because the water pressure is big so I took a hollow block to block the water from coming in as well as a flashlight to see the inside of the covered road irrigation; I have also asked my younger sister’s help since I can’t block the water and fish out the turtle at the same time.

It took us long time to fish the turtle out, and when I took it out I knew from the spot it wasn’t my Thurty, the turtle is a bit smaller and lighter and has different shell pattern. The turtle is very outgoing too, it was not even scared when I picked it, it didn’t even hide in his shell unlike Thurty who is not socially inclined like me, we both love to hide rather than socializing with people. The turtle we found doesn’t have scratches at the bottom too, Thurty has scratches because we found him in the street after being hit and run by someone’s motorcycle.

Well, I still took the newly found turtle home and kept in on the green pail where I kept my old turtle. I’ve been missing Thurty that every time I feed our pets I always throw a second look at the green pail wishing he didn’t run away.

The new turtle maybe signifies the new me, my new and improved attitude and like Thurty, it was also reminding me to take things slower and wait for right and perfect divine timing before I rush myself out.

It rained a lot last night; it was very heavy with thunderstorm and lightning. I am half-awake and half-asleep when my mother wakes me up to look after my turtle. Since I am dead tired to wake up from severe headache, I just whimper and went back to sleep. I had a developing headache before we pay a visit in our second degree cousin confined in a provincial hospital and it became severe when we went home, I think it was from eating barbecue chicken head; it was maybe frozen for a long time so food intolerance strike. I didn’t wake up too because I was a bit lazy and I have thought the turtle can breathe underwater and won’t escape and even if he escape it won’t matter since I am planning to set him free anyway.

This morning, I was still in bed when my mother yelled that my turtle was gone already. I get up and look at the pail where I have kept it, the turtle was really gone and the pail is full of water, although I have already accepted that the turtle might be gone when I wake up in the morning I still look and asked around if anyone see it.  Well, I’ll surely miss Thurty, Baol as my father fondly call him.

The other night I was feeling disturb again so I have asked my mother and sister if they want to eat “pancit”, they said yes so we drove to town so we could get one order of pancit. Along the way my sister exclaim that she seems saw a turtle in the road, I have told her to return so we could see it and she was right it was indeed an injured turtle maybe it was a victim of motorcycle hit and run. Since we are just about 600 meters away from home, we picked the turtle and bring it home first before heading to town again.  The turtle was injured, it has some scratches at the bottom. My father put in the large pail where I feed him, I am planning to release the turtle when it feels better.

Turtle is one of the spirit animal that comes out when I took random quiz online about finding my spirit animal. Since I have been finding myself these past few days, I am getting comfort from things that I think there is a relation/relevance to me, I put symbol and meaning to everything. I am not sure if I am going crazy or I am just so depressed that I am clasping to everything that comes along my way.

Looking online I have found at universeofsymbolism.com that the brilliant message from this little turtle totem is not to push myself  because I’ll end up making errors and miss opportunities. It was said that the turtle has the wisdom of knowing that all things come in perfect and divine timing, sharing the golden lesson of patience. I guessed the turtle that shows up along our way is an answered prayer telling me to slow down the pace of my life and being bigger, stronger, faster are not always the best ways to get what I want and control things in instant. It simply reminds me to take thing slowly and don’t rush things at the moment and I should learn the art of waiting…

According to spirit-animals.com too, if turtle is your totem you have exceptional navigation skills. You can always find your way through anything. You also have a tendency to withdraw into your shell if your find yourself in an uncomfortable or what you perceive as a threatening situation. Well, now I know why I can always find the way back when travelling and getting lost is not an option and why I am good in reasoning. Alternatively too, the turtle represents the need to be sheltered or protected from life’s problems which I am needing right now.

Here are some additional associations for turtle:

• Longevity
• Endurance
• Survival skills
• Patience
• Stimulates hearing on both the physical and spiritual levels
• Are you listening carefully to others?
• Let Turtle help you decide to take time to slow down or perhaps to pick up the pace a bit.

Owl is my primary spirit animal then bear and turtle but I guess seeing a turtle is easier than seeing an owl or bear around us. How about you what is your spirit animal?  You can take this quiz www.spiritanimal.info/spirit-animal-quiz to find to find it out.