Meet Janice Lal and her 2-year-old tortoise, Stash
Through the end of September, we’re celebrating the people who, every day, make life in the Sacramento region meaningful and interesting. Through 12 stories, a collection of short profiles, you’ll “Meet your neighbors.” Read more here.
Every morning, Janice Lal and Stash journey 42 steps.
They walk past rows of stucco-clad townhomes and neatly trimmed hedges, savoring the warm valley sun overhead. In this little corner of Elk Grove, Stash, a 2-year-old sulcata tortoise, and Janice are a familiar pair.
Neighbors stoop down to greet Stash before heading to work. When a delivery driver appears, Janice points them to the cabinet of treats she set up in a small alcove by her door.
For Janice, it’s a moment of peace, before reentering the fray of everyday life.
You wouldn’t know it, but it’s likely Janice is running on four hours of sleep.
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Her daytime hours are filled with 109 kids as she leads a child care center nestled within a state office building. Her phone constantly pings with questions from concerned parents and needs for her staff.
Weekend evenings are dedicated to a crisis nursery, offering respite to children who need emergency shelter as their parents may be experiencing hardship or homelessness. There’s little room for breaks on the graveyard shift, which is staffed by just two people. When a child misses their parent, Janice consoles them.
“Three more sleeps and they’ll be here,” she says.
Janice was preparing for a weekend of rest and reality TV on a recent Friday, when a call came. The crisis nursery was short-staffed. She knew if she stayed home, four children would be sent out of the nursery. She returned to her car, queued up her 90s R&B playlist, and readied for the weekend ahead.
At the end of each shift Janice returns to her quiet corner of Elk Grove. Her eyes check which shelves for the delivery drivers need fresh supplies. She plugs in her iron and prepares to add a decorative patch to a tote bag, a gift for a colleague.
“I’m not looking to be the nicest anything,” she said.“I just am who I am.”
