Last Monday was a pretty extraordinary day… honestly, I’m still basking in the afterglow!
A bit of backstory… one random evening in mid June, something caught my eye in the backyard. A turtle? I’d never seen one out there before. What the heck was he up to? There was a big mound of dirt behind him. (Hmmmmm…LIGHTBULB!) Could he be building a nest? It seemed awfully late for that. But yep, SHE definitely was!
By now, it was dusk with darkness fast approaching. Excited to see what happened next, I went inside to let Mama Turtle do her thing. By 9:30 p.m., she’d laid her first egg. (Imagine me coming out shining my iPhone light all up in her business. But it didn’t faze her in the least. She had a job to do, and she was gonna do it!) Next check, she’d laid at least one more, possibly two eggs. Last check around 1 a.m., Mama Turtle seemed to be done and was taking a breather over the open nest. I headed off to bed.
The next morning, I couldn’t believe how perfectly even and camouflaged the nest was. Mama was long gone… it was up to her babies now. For protection, I placed an open-ended wooden milk crate over the nest.
And so, the waiting began. From a quick internet search, I learned Eastern box turtles hatch in 2-3 months although they can overwinter in the nest – living off the yolk sac for up to 6 months!
2 months came… no turtle babies. 3 months came… Still nothing! I began to fear the worst and second guess every decision I’d made in protecting the nest. By 100+ days in, I’d all but given up hope when…
I checked the nest last Monday – and again something caught my eye. I went to touch it and IT MOVED!! It was a little baby turtle poking his head out. I couldn’t contain my excitement!! Eeeeek!! I called my neighbor Vivian to come see and texted a picture to several friends who’d been on turtle watch with me.
Here they came… one, then two and a third snuck out to my delight. They were about the size of a silver dollar and so adorable with their perfectly tiny features. Fall leaves scattered across my backyard made for the perfect camouflage. If you lost sight of the little guys for more than a minute or so, it was really hard to find them again. Vivian, her daughter, Lainie, and I had to walk very carefully through the yard to ensure we didn’t step on one. Eventually, I had to let go – losing sight of them – and trust that Mother Nature’s divine wisdom would take its course. My yard borders a wooded park – my hope being they made it safely to the tree canopy and underbrush.
A week later, I’m still in awe! An experience – a gift – I won’t ever forget!
It got me thinking… about how much of my work involves midwifery. (That’s actually a word!) I help organizations, nonprofits and businesses birth their brands, brand messaging and daily communications to connect with their prospects and clients. Which leads me to ask…
What are you ready to give birth to in your business?
Covid has given all of us the opportunity for a pregnant (get it?) pause. Has your organization made necessary changes or perhaps a complete pivot to gain better footing for a post-pandemic economy? Or maybe you’re still figuring out what your next branding/marketing move should be. Believe me, I get it. And, km design can help!
Whether you have specific ideas you’ve been mulling over the last 6 months that need some outside perspective and feedback or “challenges” that need solving, I’d love to put our creative heads together to figure it out. As we enter Q4 2020, now’s the perfect time to decide on your brand direction for 2021. Let’s talk!
Or, if you have a story like mine to share, please do!
