One of our family’s spirit animals is the turtle. As my daughters were growing up, my husband would always stop for a turtle crossing the road. We never had a domestic turtle, but we spend time together in nature trying to spot turtles on a log.
Turtles have spiritual symbolism.
Trust your path.
Strength and endurance
Stability
Ancient wisdom
Longevity
“The turtle is a symbol of the World and the Earth, inspiring us to chart our own course with energy and determination.” (fauna-protect.com)
Recently, my husband and I were on a long drive and I got an alert on my phone from the Ring neighborhood alert system.
It was dark and I was getting a little punchy, but this announcement cracked me up.
I sent it to the girls in a text group.
My daughter sent a response, “Your small domestic turtle is safe and sound.” Along with a photo of our dog, Albert, perched on her lap.
Does your family have any quirky spirit animals?
Reflections on the Teche 
We had a box turtle for over 20 years, left when our son moved away. We eventually gave him to someone who had many turtles, and a wonderfully designed turtle space with mud slides for turtle entertainment. they live over 60 years. To this day my son won’t eat melons because he grew up thinking it was turtle food.
Cracked me up, too! Somehow the map is what makes it hilarious. Though we do know that turtles CAN cover ground.
Funny to read this today, because I just returned a baby red-eared slider to the school science room. I was “babysitting” it for the summer and my visiting grands loved it. I also look for turtles sunning in creeks and canals. And so many creation stories, of different continents, have the world being created on the back of a turtle. A good totem, for sure.
Hahaahaa, Margaret! I can imagine! Our family has a few tortoises stories! Raised two… tiny little things 26 years ago. They grew big. Loved walking around the backyard. But one kept running away. Never could find his escape route. Once the postman found him and carried him back only to get peed on. Finally that tortoise left and never was found. His brother (George) stayed. George loves apples, crawls real fast when he sees us put a half of an apple on the ground. Gave him a “soaking bath” and weighed him this weekend… 45 pounds. Won’t be long and we’ll be putting him in his bin and into a dark corner for the winter. We won’t see him again until April or May.
I love your tortoise story!
Margaret,
These days one could do worse than be turtle-like. I told my husband yesterday we need to make our home extra comfortable for the winter because we’ll want to hide out in the coming months, like the turtle in its shell. Did you know turtles are declining in number because of roads and climate change? One more treasured being threatened by humans.
Margaret, that is so funny! I agree turtles are special and spiritual. Love ancient wisdom. In our family our cats are spiritual, wise, playful, affectionate, loving, hilarious at times, adorable, smart… Annalise learned as a kitten how to bring back her toy springs for me to throw again. Her brother now at 2 & 1/2 years old has learned how to bring the spring back, but he brings it back to himself and sits near it. Then, he gives me the pretty light, blue eyes give me the Mommy-I brought-it-back-too-look. I tell him what a good boy he is.
As for turtles when we go north to see my husband’s family there is a road, they call swamp road. It has a big swamp on one side of the road. Over the years there has been a number of times when my husband has stopped our car, got out, and picked up a big snapping turtle and carried it to the other side of the road thankfully not getting snapped at. Thank you for sharing.
How old is your puppy, Albert, now? He must be getting big.
Thanks for your comment. All our cats have different characteristics too. Albert is a year and a half so he is much calmer. He’s easy to take on walks.
Margaret, now that is priceless. I would have cracked up, too. Provided he is healthy, that turtle is back where he belongs, despite the heartache of the household he escaped from. I would imagine a whole new world just opened up for him – – or her. I’m glad your Al-bear is okay, perched up right where he belongs and that your daughter responded with such humor and knowing. That is a gem of a slice today.
Now that’s small town living! I do hope the turtle has found its way home or has been found. PS I like your notification much more than the shelter-in-place one we got yesterday morning. 😦 Luckily the incident was quickly resolved and no one was injured but yikes!
Funny story, Margaret! Albert is a great “small domestic turtle”! Love the history your family has with turtles. Our family’s animals would be a corgi and a puffin.