This is Digby Pancake. We have been really busy the last couple of days in this Jekyll Island, Georgia place.
We still have a lot more to learn at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center today and even this weekend. And it is a lot of work. But it feels oh so good to meet all the people and animals at this special place.
We love to travel, that is no secret at all.
But we also love to learn just as much. And I have found that the best ways to learn are thru animals.
I have found that the best stories are with the animals. I am glad that I am not alone in my opinion. The people at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center think that too. And after hearing just some of their stories yesterday, I thought about you. Yes. You. Many of the animals that come thru the doors here have been injured or sick. They have lost parts of their bodies, or their spirit. What have you been thru in your life?
There are so many bad things that happen in this world. Some are no one’s fault. Some are. Some things may be easier to overcome. Some things may seem impossible to overcome. But a person can usually count on the fact that there will be someone to help them.
Whether that help comes from a hospital, or a teacher or a parent. But what happens when you are an animal and something tragic happens to you? What if you are like Shitake the soft shell turtle who got hit by a car and was not able to walk? Who will help you? Will there be someone there?
If you are Shitake the turtle, the Georgia Sea Turtle Center will help you. They will love you. They will call you handsome and marvel at well you are doing.
It is a miracle that Shitake survived. Yes, the sea turtle people certainly helped him and are still helping him. But he also had to have that will to survive. He had to want to live. He had to want to get better.
Your story…yes, your story is in the animals. Why? For every animal in a shelter, or that needs help or in a rescue, or even at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, there is a story. A story of survival, of tragedy, of adversity. What animal can you relate to? Is it the animal that had cancer and defied all the odds?
Is it the animal that lost a part of his body to an accident?
Is it the animal that was not valued or abused?
When we take time to learn about animals who have survived, oh, they can teach us so very much.
And that is part of why we are visiting the Georgia Sea Turtle Center. We want to show you what happens when you want to live. We want to show you miracles do happen. And we want to show you that even after something horrible happens, you can live again. Your story is just as important. Use it to inspire others just like the animals.
-Digby Pancake
