The Story of “Doña” the Turtle

Noun / dō-nyə
a Spanish woman of rank -> used as a title

Once upon a time, in a cozy little office, something unexpected happened that made everyone smile. 

It all started in the office at "Corales de la Tierra”— We were all sitting in a big meeting, about nine of us around the table—something we didn’t usually do, but it was a special day. Suddenly, a member of the team came in a little late. “Sorry I’m late,” she said, “but there’s a turtle in the parking lot!”

Now, you might wonder how a turtle could just show up out of nowhere, right? Well, we think she came because we called her. 

We all looked at each other, confused. “That’s weird, A turtle? ” I wondered aloud. 

Everyone was so curious and excited. But we had work to do, so we continued the meeting, but It was obvious that everyone was thinking about the turtle. “Who wants to see the turtle?” I asked. “Me! Me!” Everyone yelled.   The meeting was instantly forgotten as we all rushed to see this mysterious visitor. So, off we went to the parking lot. When we got there, we saw some of our coworkers trying to gently coax the turtle from under a car using a stick. She was hiding there, keeping herself safe from the hustle and bustle of the humans.

I decided to try and help. I kneeled down, and carefully reached out with my hands. The little turtle was calm, and with a little effort, I lifted her gently. “Wow, she’s so beautiful and big!” I said. It was an exciting moment for all of us.

The next day, I took the turtle to a special wild animal rescue center to find out more about her. They told me she was a Red-eared Slider—a type of pet turtle that’s often kept in people’s homes. It was a bit surprising because we had thought she might be a wild turtle, but it turns out she was domesticated and probably lost or wandering.

We didn’t want to leave her alone, though. We decided to keep her at the office as our new mascot. We called her "La Doña" because she acted like a queen! Yes, even though she was just a turtle, she had a certain air about her. She was a bit sassy, but wise and very particular about how things were done. —just like a true "Doña."

From that day on, "La Doña" became a beloved member of the team at "Corales de la Tierra." In fact, she became so famous that even our clients visit just to say “hi!” And also volunteer to help clean her tank!

And so, every day, La Doña the turtle sits peacefully in her tank, making the office feel a little more special with her quiet presence. Some days, she’s in a sassy mood, and other days, she just naps peacefully. But one thing’s for sure—she’s part of the family now, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.

And that’s the story of when La Doña the turtle came to the office. 

- Diana