This was the friend we made on our way to church a couple of weeks ago. Creepy lookin’, huh? Well, this isn’t an actual picture of the turtle we found, but the best example Google Images could supply.
Anyway, it was humongous and was slowly making its way across the street as we drove by it. Certain that we would find its turtle guts spread across the road on the way home, Ken decided to be the hero and move it to safety. I mean really, who wants the world’s largest, flattest turtle on their conscience?
As he was getting out of the car, I asked, “Are we sure it’s not a snapping turtle?” He shrugged his shoulders, not really bothered by the idea. He walked over to the turtle and nudged it a little with the toe of his shoe. Edie sat on pins and needles in the car as she watched her daddy brave traffic and muggy weather all for the sake of this helpless turtle.
Well, instead of retreating into its shell like cartoons would have you believe turtles do, this turtle was ready to fight! It didn’t care that Ken was a million times bigger or stronger, or trying to SAVE ITS LIFE. No, it came out snapping away. As Ken tried to get away from its head, the turtle rotated around, coming after him.
Eventually the turtle was kicked to safety, and Ken drove away with all of his fingers and toes intact, but as I watched this spectacle of my husband fighting with a turtle, I couldn’t help but think that it was a metaphor for my life these days (deep, I know).
Sometimes I feel as if I live with that stubborn snapping turtle. Edie doesn’t always understand why we have rules. She will tell you that she has to obey the rules because they keep her safe, but yet, she gets angry at us when she’s punished for breaking them. Trying to make her understand can be exhausting at times and seem about as futile as trying to kick a snapping turtle across the road. However, just as Ken won with the turtle in the end, I know we will win this battle as well. I just hope no one loses a toe in the process.
