GUMBO

Gumbo was a wild turtle. In 2014, he was run over by a car that crushed his shell, rupturing his eyes. An extraordinary vet put him back together but couldn’t save his eyes. I adopted him but was told the odds were slim, because blind turtles lose the will to live, and refuse to eat. It took several months of love and coaxing, but he now eats ravenously from my hand.
He responds to numerous words, including his name. When I approach his tank and say, “I love you,” his head rises all the way up and the dewlap under his neck starts pounding.
Gumbo strolls in my garden every week and has learned to use his other senses to navigate. He loves to play in the hose. It helps orientate his location and the coils are simply fun.
When we ignore another being in our path that needs help, we turn our back on the Creator of all life.