Turtle Delight by Turtle GG

             

              
             “Every day

                        I see or I hear

                                    something

                                                that more or less 

     kills me

                        with delight,…”*

I had a day like poet Mary Oliver describes above. My husband and I celebrated a 50^th wedding anniversary by taking 6 adults kids and their 5 kids to the beach for a vacation. That particular beach in Kiawah Island, S. C. is known for being an important beach for the endangered loggerhead turtle species to lay their eggs.

We knew about the area turtles because we had spent the day at the Charleston Aquarium and discovered the Turtle Hospital there with an exhibit just opened where we were allowed to watch surgery being done on a Green Ridley turtle that had swallowed a large fish hook. The one way window framed the operating room with the veterinarian and four assistants. The turtle lay asleep on the operating table. We could also follow what was happening inside the turtle via a TV screen. The turtle survived and went to a turtle tank to swim and eat for days until they hoped to release him/her to the open Atlantic.

This was the beginning of a 24 hour period of nature delights. I want my grandchildren to be mindful of what nature can teach us, especially because

            “…Such gifts, bestowed, can’t be repeated.”….**  

That evening, some of the parents went for a beach walk in the full moon. They came upon tracks that, at first, looked like four-wheeler tracks, but that were going straight from the water, across the beach into the sand dune. They watched, mesmerized, as a Loggerhead female, larger than any of them began to dig her nest. She dug an 18 inch deep hole in the sand and proceeded to drop over a 100 eggs and cover them with sand. Even though we hadn’t all witnessed this, we were filled with gratitude that this creature had floated the currents back to South Carolina where she was hatched, probably 25 or more years ago.

The next morning, the kids reported the new nest to the volunteer Turtle Patrol who decided they needed to move the nest out of the walkway of the beach. They invited us all to observe as they generously explained all about turtles to the delight of questions from the 5- 10 year old set. They were then honored to fill in the old hole as the 119 ping pong size eggs settled into their new home a few feet higher up the dune. All kinds of data were collected to share with two other states where the turtles lay their eggs. 

As our merry little band walked back for our last day on the beach together, a pod of dolphins came very close to the beach and put on a joyful show. And then, three deer popped out of the brush and played in the surf.

As the children boogie boarded (not GG’s sport), I hoped these days together with these one of a kind encounters would serve as a reminder to take care of their world and share the joy of it with others. Silly me, I thought of saying this out loud, a “teaching moment”,  but I guess I am now old enough to be somewhat wise and let the moments speak for themselves.

That day as I walked in the sun, surrounded by my family and filled with gratitude, I remembered Oliver’s poem “Drifting”  

I was enjoying everything…

                        I didn’t intend to start thinking about God,

                                     it just happened….***

 --Turtle GG

        

*Mary Oliver, “Mindful,"  Why I Wake Early (2004) p 58.

**Mary Oliver, “The Place I want to Get Back To,”  Thirst (2006) p 36.

***Mary Oliver, “Drifting,” Blue Horses (2014 ) p 53.

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Our Forever Home by Rosewalk

“Our Forever Home”

In their 50s, the wealthy couple oohs and ahhs as they search for their beachfront retirement home, their “forever home,” as they call it. I enjoy watching these episodes of “House Hunters” on HGTV, a network that speaks to our aspirations to remodel our homes, to purchase the perfect fixer-upper, to find that one perfect property that will make all our dreams come true.

I, too, love the ocean view through the floor to ceiling windows, the comfort of a sunken bathtub, the privacy of bedrooms and decks on multiple levels. And yet, I wonder about the glib use of the phrase “forever home.” Does this couple not have friends and family members who have limited mobility? Do they not realize that they may some day be challenged to walk up one step, much less multiple steps on multiple levels? Don’t they even consider whether or not the doorways are wide enough to allow wheelchair access?

Since my husband’s stroke two years ago, I have had my eyes opened to how our homes and businesses are designed with only a passing thought given to access for those with disabilities. Building codes regulate some consideration of accessibility, but I these regulations only meet minimum standards of accessibility, falling short of real comfort and ease of use for those with disabilities and their caregivers.

Those who are able-bodied now will almost certainly experience at least a brief period of disability, such as that following knee replacement surgery. Most of us are quite likely to experience more significant disabilities, and those who remain physically unscarred by life will probably serve as caregivers and companions to others who are disabled. Should we lose access to ocean views or intimate dining experiences because of disabilities?

No matter what we believe about the soul, we need to admit that the body is mortal. This truth is not pleasant, but acknowledging it is key to enabling a more comfortable time in our declining years, time spent in homes that allow us some independence and ease of movement, rather than reminding us of physical feats that we are no longer capable of, acts that were once accomplished effortlessly, such as climbing up stairs and stepping into a bathtub. Just as our bodies are not our homes forever, our choices in the design, construction, and purchase of our houses should consider the very real likelihood of physical and mental decline. Nothing is forever. Acknowledging that reality will allow more of us to age in place, without requiring a sudden move following a stroke or other illness. 

            ---Elder Rosewalk

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