I’ve learned so many lessons from my dogs. The latest lesson came from Moose, who loves turtles, just like Mavis Pearl loved rabbits. Our side yard backs up to a creek, and Moose always sprints toward the far corner. Now I know why. I could tell he had a friend down there, and I assumed it was a snake. “Leave it!” I shouted at him as he ran toward the corner. He looked at me like I was nuts and kept running. I followed him, wondering what type of snake I was about to encounter, but it turned out to be a harmless turtle. Moose sat, watching it intently, wagging his tail as he protected it from my other two dogs. He gently rested his paw on its shell as if to say, “This is my new friend.”
When Moose ran to the corner the next day, I noticed he nudged the turtle a bit. Was he playing? I watched for about fifteen minutes as Moose attempted to coax his new friend back to the creek. I could hardly believe my eyes as he inched him along the other corner of the fence. The turtle finally realized this dog was not going to leave it alone and began to cooperate, making his way at a turtle’s pace to the fence. Moose got him to the fence, but the turtle couldn’t pass through. I watched the scenario unfold as Moose flipped the turtle on its side with his nose and pushed him through with one big nudge. We watched the turtle make its way to the creek, and Moose sat looking beyond the fence like Mavis when she watched her rabbit.
Today, we walked to the other side of the creek, and Moose came to an abrupt halt. I looked down, and there was the turtle 
climbing onto a rock, just staring at us. Moose’s tail was wagging like crazy, so I took him over to the turtle, and they had a grand reunion. The creek is full of critters, but this one holds a special bond with Moose. Every day, he runs a little faster to the creek to see Truman the Turtle (we named him since we visit so often). The gentle giant Moose and his little friend are quite the pair.
The moral of this Moose story is that genuine kindness and friendship can bridge any gap. Like Moose guiding Truman through the fence, we should help those around us find their way. Small acts of compassion can lead to meaningful bonds. Hey, Moose may have given me the plot for my next children’s book!
Be kind. Small acts matter, and differences can make great friendships.