The Turtle Story -- Shani's Birthday, 2009

I know I said I was putting the blog on hold for now, but an experience I had this past weekend, led me to share this with you...


In two weeks, I will be heading to the mountains of North Carolina for a spiritual retreat with an African Shaman where we will be engaging in Indigineous African Grief Rituals for Men. This morning I went to the registration page and found a picture of a turtle, sketched in an African Tribal style. I knew immediately that I am supposed to be there. I don’t know what will happen, but this is destined to be a spiritual experience for me. Turtles became a “totem” for me very early on after Shani’s death. There have been a number of experiences involving turtles, and I even had a tattoo of one done on my right forearm in what I would call a Pacific Islander sort of style.

The appearances of these turtles have typically grounded me at times when I needed it the most. And now, as you will see later on in the story, I can certainly connect with the direction I have been given to “go within my most primal essence.”

I have been waiting to share the turtle story, and after this morning feel more compelled now than ever to do so. Sean is working from these stories to help piece the book together in a different fashion, but here is an excerpt summary from the book proposal we wrote.

This should give you a good idea as to why I love turtles.  Hope you enjoy….

Mike