Page 4

Finally, one night when the moon was full, all the island awakened by the sound of a new and Glorious Song She sang to welcome their son.  He accompanied her with great shouts of thanksgiving and praise for a handsome and healthy child.  Their rejoicing continued through the night and She blessed them all with the most wonderful Morning Song She had ever sang.
 
The Boy was beautiful and strong, as one might have expected; and he was a perfect Boy.  The whole island celebrated with them at his emergency and immediately adopted him into their special relationships.  He was a very good child and only cried softly and infrequently.  His parents were constantly at his side to meet his every need and they took great care of him.
 
She would wait, hovering on the edge of the nest until He would bring food, which She would chew and insert into the Boy’s mouth.  It was a constant process at first, but as the Boy grew the time between feedings increased and He had to work less hard.  She filled each hour with songs and loving care of her Boy.
 
They loved everything about the Boy and constantly gave him everything they could think that he might require.  When the afternoon rainshower would come She would let some of it wash the Boy clean, then She would cover him and keep him dry.  If it rained unusually hard He would come and shield her from it.  After a few days She would venture away from the nest for brief intervals to help in the search for food and to bring materials to repair the nest.
 
The Boy grew rapidly and happily.  Soon all realized that the Boy would add another joyful voice to the island and everyone counted their blessings.  The old seaturtle took heart to see life blossoming before his weary eyes.

One day She flew off to pick some berries for a few brief moments and when She came back He was perched on the edge of the nest.  And He wouldn’t let her come onto the nest, but He kept himself between her and the nest.  She began to flap her wings and protest his actions and they created quite a commotion.  Finally, He could keep her from the next no longer.  He stepped aside and She discovered there in the nest that the Boy was dead.  The sun beat down on the Boy mercilessly and insects quickly invaded the nest.
 
As first she could not believe it.  She kept touching the Boy and trying to get some response from him, but none came.  While she struggled He restrained himself from moving her away, for He had already tried all he knew to revive the Boy, with no success.
 
As She struggled to accept the reality of the situation, her agitation grew and her noise level grew.  Such horrifying and shattering shrieks of anguish filled the island that all rushed to see who was causing such an upheaval.  And when the word was spread of the tragedy, great waves of grief swept over all the creatures.
 
In the agony of denial She sought to place blame for the Boy’s dying.  First She blamed herself, for having left the nest that day.  She berated herself mercilessly.  But she knew in her heart that it would have made no difference.  She was even tempted to blame Him, but resisted.  She even cried out against an unjust and cruel Fate that would permit such an atrocity.
 
It was horrible and almost beyond enduring for Him to see how She was stricken by her loss.  He sheltered her under his loving wings and tried to comfort her broken heart, while his own heart silently ached for the same comfort he offered. 
 
After some time, however, She fell silent.  No songs filled the island the rest of that day and the night was still.  In the darkness of the night, the old seaturtle awoke to hear her sobbing softly to herself, and he thought his heart would surely break at witnessing her private grief. 
 
It was in the silence, however, that She realized that all the reasons She had for singing before the Boy came had not ceased to exist.  In fact, in the stillness of her acceptance, She found that She could even then sense the presence of the Boy’s spirit.  In her wisdom She knew that all of life is a precious gift from a divine Source.  And She realized that the same Providence that provided for the past must be trusted to provide for the future.
 
Days passed in silence and grief, but finally with gentle courage and an inner assurance, She decided to sing her Morning Song one day.  It was not easy for her.  Everyone marveled that She could sing again.  It was then that they began to realize more fully just how special a creature She really was.