Today: A valuable lesson from a tortoise.

Once there was a little tortoise the size of an army helmet that was going through life thinking he was ugly and of no value to the world.

“Oh, if only I could be wise like the owl,” he thought. “Then my life would have meaning. Everyone would think I was smart.”

Then looking high into the blue skies he said, “If only I could soar like an eagle, then my life would be special. I would be majestic.”

As he sadly thought about his life, a deer suddenly bolted from the brush and leaped over a fallen tree trunk and sped by him. “Oh look how fast and graceful he is,” the tortoise exclaimed. “If only I could move that quickly, everyone would respect me.”

With that, he hung his head in despair and inch by inch, he moved down the path. The path led to a gentle stream and as the tortoise leaned over the bank to take a drink, he saw his reflection.

It startled him for seldom had this little creature taken a good look at himself. And in that moment he stopped comparing himself to other animals and what they had that he didn’t. Instead, he noticed what he had.

“I’m not a bad looking little fellow,” he thought, while staring at his reflection. “Not handsome in a traditional sense but my face is a nice dark green, like the tree leaves fluttering in the breeze and my brown shell has lovely rectangular squares and is well-shaped.

“My lineage dates back to the dinosaur age. It’s as if I’m a part of royalty following in the hallowed tradition of my forbearers.

“And I’ve seen human royalty and some of them are not handsome in a traditional sense.

“I’m also useful for I eat insects that pester others and I greet everyone with a smile and a kind word. I’m never in a hurry, for how could I be? So I take the time to hear what others say and they like when I listen to them.

“I’m actually pretty popular and I’m welcome everywhere I go. And human children love me and play with me and adults think I’m cute.

“Why have I wasted so much time and energy thinking of what others have that I don’t, instead of appreciating all that I have and all that I am?

“From now on, I’ll make the best me possible and I will celebrate, not envy, all that others have so they too can appreciate themselves. If I do that, I become an even better friend to them.”

Just then his longtime pal a fox walked up and gave him a friendly sniff. “Did I ever tell you how clever you are,” the tortoise asked. “No, but please tell me more,” said the smiling fox as the two friends sat happily together.