09/16/2026
On a warm, rainy afternoon in early September, I almost mistook a tiny snapping turtle for a stone.
When I stopped to look more closely, I found a small opening in the compacted earth beside a well-used walking path—and another tiny turtle struggling towards the surface.
Then another emerged. And another.
For nearly an hour, I stayed beside them as almost two dozen tiny lives slowly dug their way into the world. I loosened only a little of the rain-heavy soil, kept watch for passing feet and curious dogs, and helped them find the safer direction towards the creek.
Mostly, I simply watched.
Sandy, muddy and almost invisible, they arrived one by one from beneath the earth.
Sometimes a wandering moment asks us to pause.
Sometimes it asks us to stand guard.