Magical moments

Yertl the Turtle is what my son and I used to call sea turtles when he was a toddler.  We'd walk over very early in the morning to sit on the black rock point at the beach.  The sun would begin it's ascent over the dormant volcano, Haleakala, and soon burn off the shadow of night, replacing it with warmth and blue sky.   We'd choose a fairly smooth rock on which to perch then silently watch the ocean.  Nary a peep would come from my son as he'd sit beside me or on my lap.  His blue-grey eyes sweeping left then right.  Intent on seeing the shell or better still the head bob up for air.

"I see him, Mom" he'd say excitedly but not too loudly.  He'd point in the direction of movement with those indescribably cute little child hands.  The hands that every Mom knows and misses as her child grows up.  He'd turn his head to be sure I'd heard him and I'd see the excitement in his eyes.  He'd look and look again.  Then he'd sit back on my lap and we'd make up stories about what Yertl might be doing today.

"I think he's eating seaweed, Mom" to which I'd agree.  "How come the waves don't bother him?" to which the answer was it's his home and he's very, very strong.  "Where are the other turtles?" was apparently not answered to his liking when I said, "They're probably done with breakfast and are swimming somewhere else now".  My son, big hearted and ever-caring, kept his eyes on Yertl and said tenderly, "Well, that's not very nice.  His friends should have woke him up so they could all go together". 

Today as I went snorkeling I saw Yertl.  In fact, Yertl was quite content floating along so closely to me that we could have kissed.  I moved backward by circling my arms to push water and slowly distance us.  Yet he seemed happy to follow me.  Maybe Yertl saw us all those years ago watching him and feeling badly that his friends didn't wake him.  That's what the little boy of years ago might think.  But we know better.  

My son is a teenager now and, of course, has a more mature view of what Yertl does.  It doesn't mean, however, that his mom wouldn't have loved to have shared her magical Yertl encounter with him.