A Day in the Life...Peace and Chaos

A Day in the Life…

 I live out in the country because I just love the quiet and the wildlife. This year I have a mama deer and her twin babies that play in my back yard almost every morning. (It doesn’t hurt that there is a corn field right beside me where mama can eat while the babies play.) This morning was no different.  They were there when I walked to the back deck and they are just beautiful.  One is very inquisitive and tries to get closer to the house.  He or she is also the bigger one of the two.  The other one is a bit more reserved and tends to hang a little closer to mom. This particular morning, they were running like they were playing tag.  Then they would stand up on their back legs and hit their front legs together like they were playing one of those hand rythm games and then take off again.  I was amazed and could have sat there all day long!

 It was so peaceful and quiet until…the geese on the pond decided to have a turf war.  I had to walk through the row of trees to see the geese on the other side of the pond who were screeching, honking, and going crazy! A new flock had arrived and the old flock was not having it.  They squared off like something out of West Side Story(probably again showing my age.)  I assume the honking meant they were calling each other names then they would square off, drop their beaks to the ground, and run towards each other flapping their wings.  I was in awe as I sat and watched the commotion.

My peace

My chaos

There is a pair of geese that come back to the pond each year to hatch their young. This year they hatched out eight babies and they were so fun to watch growing up. I know some people hate having geese around (they are a bit dirty) but they are so amazing to watch. I believe we could learn a bit from watching them. You know, they mate for life!  I actually witnessed one goose mourning when his/her spouse was killed.  It was painful to watch, so pitiful.  It just cried and cried. 
This goose knew that she was alone forever because she lost the one she was committed to.  It just broke my heart.

  It really made me think... what if we had that kind of commitment to each other? We say we do when we get married but let’s face it, we certainly have some ways of making sure we have a way out if necessary. I am not saying there is never a time when people should divorce, (I’ve been there), but society today is so disposable that many walk away at the first real sign of trouble. The grass always looks greener on the other side of the fence, right? Well, sometimes it just takes some TLC to bring your own lawn back to that beautiful green. We sometimes do the same thing with friends or family.  Something comes between us and we hold on to that anger which turns into hate. Some never speak again. Is anything really worth that?

I will never forget that forlorn sound as the goose mourned her loss.  It is a reminder to me always that relationships are important and precious.  Cherish them and don’t sweat the small stuff!