Don’t Go Down In the Basement!

Don’t go down into the basement…Have you ever found yourself the unexpected custodian of an aquatic friend? Well, welcome to our tale of how we ended up with a water turtle residing in our basement. It all began with an innocent conversation at the hair salon, a place where many of life's unexpected twists often unfold.

The day started with a mother lamenting the unfortunate death of goldfish after a routine water change.
She found it challenging to talk to her kids about the circle of life, and she sadly wished Mr. Rogers were still around to help. With his gentle wisdom, he could have made it all easier. Just pop in a couple of dvds, right? I added to the conversation, "Yeah, remember that episode where he found a dead goldfish in his aquarium, buried it in his backyard, and then talked about when he was a boy and his dog died?" As the salon was busy, a couple more moms started laughing and chimed in that they recalled that episode as well.

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"Hello, boys and girls.” I tuned in to Mr. Rogers, eagerly waiting to see if he could pull off zipping his sweater and tying his sneakers before the theme song wrapped up. In the cozy realm of 'Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood,' Fred Rogers was great at steering little minds through life's ups and downs. With empathy and kindness, he addressed the universal experience of losing a pet, providing solace and understanding to children navigating the delicate emotions of grief. Through his comforting words and genuine compassion, Mr. Rogers made even the toughest conversations a tender part of growing up in his beloved neighborhood."

This mom also mentioned that unlike the goldfish, the turtle was still alive and growing larger with each passing day. The dilemma arose – what to do with a turtle outgrowing its tank and surmised that she might drop it off at the park where there was a huge pond. I have seen quite a few water turtles in that pond, so I believe plenty of other folks had that idea before her.

Coincidentally, I was mourning the loss of my cat, and so were my kids. As fate would have it, a quick Google search revealed the astonishing lifespan of turtles – 75 to 100 years! That's when it hit me: a grand plan to never again have mourn the loss of a pet again. Wow, I would be able to bequeath this pet to my grandchildren and great grandchildren. Meet Marcy!

And so, our basement became an unexpected sanctuary for our turtle, Marcie, and the mourning period for our departed cat evolved into a mission of aquatic caretaking. Who knew a hair salon chat about goldfish woes could lead to a commitment spanning generations? Life's twists and turns are indeed as unpredictable as the strokes of a turtle's flipper, leaving us marveling at the unexpected adventures that find us in the most unlikely