Lessons from a duck

My step-mom, Sandy, is nuts about ducks. She has a duck collection that would rival any farmer’s collection – except of course no real breathing, quacking ducks.

I was sitting in her kitchen this morning at breakfast, duck faces staring at me from plates, paintings, wallpaper, curtains and even my coffee mug when I got to thinking about what they would actually say to me, if they could talk.

A week ago, my friend Kelly said to me “Bron, we’re just like ducks you and I. On the surface we look calm, serene and in control, but under the water our feet are kicking like mad!” We laughed, but she is so right. We may look like we’re coping but what is really going on beneath the surface?

No matter how cold the water or how fast the current; ducks look like they are perfectly in control. In fact, when it is cold and rainy people say, “This weather is for ducks!” But we don’t see beneath the water. Their little legs might be kicking like crazy to keep them afloat or steady in the current. Hey the duck might even be worrying about fish taking a nibble or two.

When the duck decides to leave the pond, it swims calmly to the edge and walks up onto the bank. Cute as a button, it shakes the water off and walks on without a feather out of place.

So if a duck could speak it would probably say, “Quack” which in English would mean, “Whatever your situation (hot or cold water, fast or slow current), don’t sweat the small stuff. When you’ve been kicking like crazy beneath the surface just to keep that smile on your face, that’s ok. Everything comes to an end and when you decide you’ve had enough; get out of the water. Shake it off and walk on.”