A turtle?
The 1st and 2nd graders took a walk to the nature space by Giant on a recent Friday afternoon. As we walked the trail, looking for spots to sit by ourselves for a little while to observe the nature around us, one friend spotted a turtle. “Hey, guys! I see a turtle!”
“Wait, a turtle?” Friends hurried toward the spot to gather and get a glimpse of this rare sight in February.
“Is it okay?” One friend got a long piece of grass and proceeded to touch the turtle’s leg, watching to see if it would move. The turtle was all black and fairly big, at least 8 inches from top to bottom of the shell and 6 inches across. Friends gathered round to watch the turtle and wonder about it. “Why is it out now? There’s snow on the ground.”
“Will it be okay?” Friends held their collective breath, fearing that maybe the turtle was not alive. Then, slowly, ever so slowly, the turtle moved its head. A collective sound of relief emitted from the group. Once everyone knew the turtle had moved, there was a sense that it was all right. Friends dispersed to find their own sit spots, with half the friends choosing to remain within view of the turtle to keep a watchful eye on it. Grateful for the life of the turtle and the opportunity to see it, we settled in to our sit spots for some quiet observation and thought.
“Take a walk with a turtle. And behold the world in pause.”
