June - Ducks Aim Higher?

The sun is more prominent now. The trees and grass are green with vigor, the skies are full of white, fluffy clouds and birds are now flying for recreation, rather than migration. In Minnesota, holding out for this kind of weather seems to last forever. Now that it's here, we all have a new lust for life. We wash and wax our cars, mow our lawns and trim our bushes with a smile. Nothing can bring us down.

But today, I saw something that I have had a hard time wiping from my mind. I know it happens hundreds of times a day, all around the world, but for some reason, death is always going to feel like a premature ending to me. No matter what creature goes through it, I feel sympathy and I always carry a small, dark cloud with me whenever I see it.

On my morning drive, I saw the smallest family of ducks I have ever seen. Not small in numbers; small in stature. I have seen many families of ducks and geese. I've watched them emerge from the tall grass for the first time, full of curiosity and excitement. And this was the tiniest family of ducks I have EVER seen. I don't know if their size was the result of an early birth or if I have truly never seen them so young before. Regardless, the family of eight or nine was walking, happily along side of the freeway. For some reason, they decided the grass on the other side of the road was greener.

The side they were leaving was home to a small pond, plenty of grass and a mixture of sun and shade. But for some reason, they were drawn to the other side of the road. Mom led the way. With every car's passing, the mother jumped back, protecting her babies with her own body. They attempted to cross numerous times while I watched them. The odds were stacked heavily against them.

Though I never did see whether the ducks made it or not, my mind keeps showing me mixed visions of disaster and victory. What drew the ducks to the other side of the road is unclear, but I keep thinking about how this sample of life mimics the way I have lived my own life. Safety and security is boring. I know of a hundred different times in my life when I had a decent job that paid my bills, and then found myself pushing the envelope for something greater. I have always felt like I was meant for bigger and better things, and I likely will not stop chasing bigger goals...regardless of the risk.

I can say that every change I have made in my life has led to greater things. But, many of the steps between these changes were dangerous and for some onlookers, may have seemed unreasonable. I am a big picture thinker. When I see a next step that can lead me to my bigger goal, I am more apt to take it, in spite of the risks attached to it. Could it be that these ducks were looking at the big picture, in spite of the risks?

I sit in my office, half focused on work and half on this family of ducks. I hope they survived their crossing and I hope they made a move toward their bigger picture.