This morning I was privileged to observe a small turtle that had made its way out of a pond that skirts a walking path I frequent. I watched as it sat in the morning sun, the dewy grass creating a cool nest and also a sense of camouflaged safety. Its dark green shell and its lighter green head blended in quite nicely among the blades of newly mowed grass. My eye had only caught the sight of it because it was reaching its head upward and I saw the movement of the breath in the length of its neck. I stopped for quite some time, watching its breath go in and out, in and out. Its contentment was contagious as I observed it and found myself aware of my own breath, in and out, in and out. The turtle and I were breathing together.

I do not know in what tradition or context meditation first was practiced. But if I were to speculate, I would say that someone observed the pace and rhythm of a turtle and knew that somehow their way of moving in the world was a good thing.I could imagine that first one human practiced the rhythm of movement and breath employed by this slow, moving one who carried its house with it.I have thought about this creature all day wondering if it is still sitting in the beautiful place it was this morning. The dew might have evaporated all around it and the sun might have risen higher in the sky. But the turtle was in a good place, a happy place and so why move on? Somehow I think there is much to be learned from this languid creature.

As I walked away from my turtle encounter I made my way along streets that are being resurfaced in our neighborhood. I was forced to the side of the road by an enormous, earth moving piece of construction equipment as it crept along the street. This large piece of machinery and the small turtle, though drastically different in appearance, had something in common…….a lack of speed. These two encounters gave shape to my day. Instead of speeding from one thing to the next, I found myself taking the time that was needed in each meeting, each conversation.I have allowed myself to be fully present to the moment at hand, moving with the rhythm of the turtle or the earth mover. And I have found that no work was neglected in this endeavor. Imagine that.

Gandhi was reported to have said,"There is more to life than increasing its speed." Today I am thankful to the lovely little turtle who halted the hare in me and allowed me to be completely present to the beauty of this day. What a blessing it has been!