My Mother's Day Visitor

Mother's Day can be difficult for those who have lost their mothers, or those who wanted to be mothers but never were. I have a double whammy with that, so tend to hide like a turtle on that particular Hallmark Holiday.

Mother Nature, though, knew I needed some company. So she sent along this lovely creature to bring a highlight to my day.

Okay, who is interrupting my romp?

I see you, you big lumbering camera-welding human!

I've got my eye on you!

What, you think moving around for a side view will help?

Yes, I have a tail!

Look at the claws on that critter!

Apparently even turtles get flies.

I think this is what we commonly call a box turtle (terrapene carolina). There is a small pond down over the hill and the turtle was sprinting up toward my red flowers from that direction.

As turtles go, it moved quite quickly across the driveway. It stopped in its tracks the moment I opened the back door, though. That piercing red eye never moved from me as I walked around it, taking pictures.

Finally, after I gently placed a hoe beneath the turtle and turned it around in the direction from whence it came (for I did not want it to eat my flowers), it ducked its head into its shell. When I next looked out, the turtle was gone (and the flowers were safe).

For a day, I think, this turtle was my animal totem. The turtle totem symbolizes a person's peaceful walk on this earth. It represents the path one takes as she embarks on her journey through life. 

In contrast to emotional or spiritual development occurring in bursts, the way of the turtle anchors one's personal unfolding in a slow, more grounded series of steps and longer cycles of transformation.

The turtle is associated with one's physical and embodied evolution on the earthly plane. People call on this spirit animal for help to be more grounded. One can also get help with slowing down and pacing, so the next step may be taken with more confidence.
My overall animal totem is a doe, but I think other animals sometimes pop up to guide you. I've been visited by a black bear, a black swan, and by turkeys. I think they all have something to say.