There once was a child of wonder.

 

She marveled at things no one else saw. She danced to music in the ocean waves that no one else could hear. She laughed at jokes told by breezes and clouds that no one else understood. She walked hand in hand with mountains when no one else even knew what that meant.

 

One day she looked at all the different paths ahead of her that led into her city’s adult world and she decided none were for her. After dark that night, without knowing why, she walked to the beach. There on the sand, basking in the moonlight, was a sea turtle silently watching the stars.

 

She approached and quietly sat down next to the turtle. 

 

“Can I ask you a favor?” she asked the turtle.

 

“You can certainly ask,” replied the turtle.

 

“Can you turn me into a sea turtle?” 

 

The sea turtle smiled. “No, I cannot. But I can help you do something better.”

 

“What could be better? I can see no future for myself in this human world.”

 

“I can help you be who you truly are, anywhere you are, for the rest of your life. All you must do is bring me eight gifts here on the beach for the next eight nights.”

 

The girl considered this.  

 

The sea turtle added: “For eight nights, bring me all your whys, reasons, and desires. After you gift me these things I can help you.” 

 

The girl was confused about this unusual request but since she was certain she couldn’t possibly be herself in the adult world, she agreed.

 

On the first night, she brought the turtle a conch shell filled with all the stories that taught her she was separate from anything else around her.

 

On the second night, she brought a seaweed necklace woven with all of her past regrets.

 

On the third night, she brought a seagull’s feather beaded with all her worries about the future.

 

On the fourth night, she brought a starfish painted brightly with all her deepest fears.

 

On the fifth night, she brought a jar filled with sand, water, and tears of mourning for those people she had lost and those she knew she would lose someday.

 

On the sixth night, she brought a small woven basket of shells, each containing one of her arguments and opinions.

 

On the seventh night, she brought a piece of charred driftwood with which she burned up all of her angers and resentments toward herself and others.

 

But on the eighth night, she came empty-handed.

 

“Where is the gift I asked you to bring?” asked the turtle.

 

“I did not know how to bring it,” explained the girl. “You asked me to bring all my whys, reasons, and desires. But without any of these, how can I do anything? Why would I come to bring you a gift if I had no reasons or desires left?”

 

The turtle smiled. “You have, in fact, brought your gift. Trace all your whys, reasons, and desires onto my shell with your finger, and then climb on my back. When you have no more stories of separation, regrets, worries, fears, mournings, arguments, opinions, angers, resentments, whys, reasons, or desires, you will forever be who you truly are. And then I will teach you to swim in the dark.”

 

The child did as the turtle asked and the turtle carried her gently into the sea. She had never swum in the dark water but she was not afraid. She felt all of her whys, reasons, and desires wash away. She felt more at home and at peace than she had ever felt before. She glided along on the turtle’s back out to sea through countless waves. Time stood still as they drifted and watched the endless stars above.

 

Then, when the moon reached the top of the sky, the child touched her forehead to the turtle’s beak in gratitude, and swam by herself back to the shore.

 

She walked and ran and swam and dove and danced into each of the rest of the moments of her life, following a path that no one else could see.