Cactus, Reginald, and Koa are currently patients being nursed to health in Florida.
One important detail to mention: they’re sea turtles, and they’re being cared for at the Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Juno Beach.
I found myself at the turtle sanctuary a few months ago, where I was invited to run a Jewish values-based mystery game for a family event.
And in my research of turtles, while I was preparing the game, I learned some surprising guidelines for what to do if you ever find an injured or lost turtle: Do not return it to the water, do not feed it, do maintain a safe distance, and do contact the authorities.
That’s just the tip of the iceberg; there are a whole bunch of instructions and regulations to keep in mind.
And it got me thinking.
What if we approached our fellow person in distress with the same amount of thought and consideration? What if we took time to think about the recommended guidelines instead of just saying or doing what popped into our minds? Because so many people are lost at sea, so to speak, and could use more delicate and thoughtful care.
Let’s choose to be kind and compassionate. Because, as gomlei chasadim (performers of kindness), naturally we shell. I mean, we shall. (Excuse the pun. I turtley got carried away there…)
