Is it just about a Turtle?

Yes and No :)

Poems are about what you see but also what you don’t see. The words paint a picture but the picture you form might be different between each person. You have life experience, loss, love and paths of life that are different. I don’t always like to share my stories but this poem is one that helped me through a difficult time.

I was working at a toxic job for a long time. I was getting ready to go on vacation to Toronto and was so ready to go. I had a couple hours of my shift when something happened in the job I worked at that was both toxic and abusive. The support I got was horrible. I left on vacation with tears and sadness as I tried to process what happened to me. I told my husband and he was so supportive. I was on vacation in a beautiful place and was trying to push those emotions down. I mean that’s what you have to do, right?

We went to this beautiful butterfly garden on the last couple days in Canada. I took a picture of this little turtle hanging onto this little log as these beautiful butterflies flew around in the air. That little turtle looked so defeated, so sad.

I was that turtle. I so wanted to be in a better place where people saw my gifts. I was overlooked and treated so poorly. When I got home from our trip I forgot about that picture and when I saw it I cried because I knew I needed to get these feeling out and try to heal and get a plan to get away from this job.

I wrote Turtle in a butterfly garden and got a plan together. It took 5 more years to leave that company. Financially I needed that job. The day I left I had that poem in my phone and when I went to the car and read it out loud , I sobbed.

I did what all Turtles in butterfly gardens want to do, I spread my wings and took flight!

Don’t sleep on yourself or the power of a sign. Sometimes you cant do something in the moment ,but you can make a plan and bet on yourself.