I'm coming Mama, I'll see you soon, I know just how, I'll follow the moon...xo

In 2001, a frazzled new Mama was trying to get her newborn to sleep...hours passed, nothing was working.

She rocked, patted, hummed, strolled, swayed, spun, stroked, rubbed and cooed. Baby Madeline refused to sleep. Just then, a scorching beam of blue light spilled in from the window, illuming the baby's face...what was that?

The new mom scooped up her newborn and went outside. All at once they were awash in a blanket of blue shimmer. Above, an impossibly enormous full moon blazed thick blinding light. Shimmer became glimmer, and baby Madeline's eyes were wide. They were sharp little baby eyes and they had spied something in the sand beneath Mama's feet.

Something small...and moving.

The new Mama followed the trail of her baby's gaze. There they were...baby sea turtles popping out of hills in the sand! Nests! They popped up like corks, haphazardly landing in the dunes. Then immediately, they tore down the sand in crazy zig-zag patterns. It was as if they had heard a race whistle go off and they were speeding crazily to their finish line.

The new Mama and her newborn giggled aloud as the speeding babies created intricate sand designs with their tiny feet.

There—the babies' glimmer shimmer destination was the sparkly surf at the edge of the sea. The foamy waves were calling them home, and they went happily, one by one, plopping into the welcoming water under an impossibly enormous full moon.

Baby Madeline stared. The new Mama stared. Then, suddenly a song fell from Mama's lips.

"I'm coming Mama....I'll see you soon...I know just how...I'll follow the moon...." she whispered, watching the babies intently.

Baby Madeline looked at her mother.

"I'm coming Mama....I'll see you soon...I know just how...I'll follow the moon...." the new Mama whispered again, this time a little louder and with a little bounce.

Baby Madeline's eyes started to droop.

"I'm coming Mama....I'll see you soon...I know just how...I'll follow the moon...." the new Mama sang, now adding varying up and down musical notes to her song.

Baby Madeline was asleep.

A few years later, this magical night became a book, I'll Follow the Moon. And a few years after that, the magical night that became a magical book, became a magical journey of another kind, a journey to save sea turtles from their fate on the endangered species list.

Now, twelve years later, donated proceeds from I'll Follow the Moon have proudly saved millions of sea turtle lives through rescue, rehabilitate, release programs around the world. And Mamas everywhere sing baby sea turtle's song to their own babies, and so far...every single one has happily gone to sleep, xo.

With big turtle love,

Stephanie Lisa Tara