Have you ever had the feeling that some things happened to us for a purpose... especially when the EXACT situation comes TWICE... at different times?
In the year 2009, early at dawn of July 26th, my daughter found a turtle outside our apartment, sixteen floors above ground level. It was an amazing experience for my family as we grew to love him in the few hours that he spent with us. My children even gave him the name Tito Buddy. We later found a home for him in a turtle sanctuary located at a Kek Lok Si Buddhist Temple on our island.
(Click on this link for the full story : A Turtle Named Tito Buddy)
On the morning of December 12th, 2010, the feeling of deja vu greeted me as my daughter's excited voice woke me up from dreamland. 'Mom, you will not believe what I found this morning!' she exclaimed. As I opened my eyes, a turtle was trusted into my view, cupped in her hands. I laughed in disbelief, 'Tito came home?' 'NOOO!' said my daughter,' This is another turtle!' Surely this cannot be happening twice in a lifetime??? But there he was... tiny cute eyes peeping out of his little green shell.
My daughter found Toto (the name given by my children) in the foyer of our apartment at 5.30am as she was leaving for her duty as a St John Ambulance first-aider in the Penang Starwalk. Everyone at home was still asleep then, so she took Toto along with her. It must have been a very exciting experience for my daughter and Toto to be in the midst of hundreds of people who participated in the walk that morning.
Later, when she came home, my daughter filled a blue pail with some water as a make-shift home for Toto. (This time, we were a little wiser and went to a pet-shop to buy some turtle feed).
Little Toto was just as adorable as Tito Buddy (the first one that came to our house a year earlier). We wanted to keep him and bought a tank for him to swim around in. After several days of watching him go round and round in a little tank, my heart felt pain, and it grew more intense as each day passed . I was torn between wanting to keep him and knowing that he needs to be free, as all God's creatures are meant to be.
A few days later, my children and I took Toto to the Kek Lok Si Buddhist Temple and released him in the same pool where Tito Buddy was freed a year earlier. We also managed to see little Tito Buddy again. It was a joy to find Tito still alive and swimming around happily. (It was easy to recognize Tito Buddy because the colour of his shell was very distinguished from the rest.)
Until today, I am still very thankful how these two little extraordinary friends have come into our lives and made a difference for us...
Be Happy Always!
Adeline
