Mama Duck

I nearly missed it.  I was on my way to fill up my gas tank at Costco. The brown blur on the street moved!  I had to stop my car.

 The man behind me in the white sedan wasn’t happy as he sped past, but he couldn’t see what I saw. You see, once I noticed the mama duck with TEN little ducklings following her, I had to stop. If I hadn’t stopped, those little ones would have been squashed. 

 It was ok that he got to the gas pump before me. I was taking a picture with my cell phone.  I just couldn’t pass by. 

Then I noticed something. 

 About the time I was snapping the picture, five of the ducklings had already used their siblings as stepping stools, climbing up and over the curb to their mama. The other five ducklings were stuck, unable to climb over.  

 The mama duck was frantic!  She kept nudging the ducks on the curb away from the edge while at the same time trying to reach her little babies who couldn’t make it over. She would dip her head down and nudge their heads. Her wings flapped, her neck stretched, but she had no way to rescue them. 

Ignoring odd looks, leaving my engine running, and not even bothering to close my door, I decided to help.  I would help save the ducklings! 

 Feeling a little like Snow White, I stooped down and offered my hand as a step. (I am pretty sure I gracefully swooped my hand with a very “Disney-princess-fashion” and almost felt a song bursting from my soul.)

 The ducklings scattered. They were so scared!  I tried again.  I got in front of them and scooped my hand gently under the belly of one of the frightened ducklings and lifted him over the curb. 

 He RAN to his mama. Ran!  He ran to her just like I have seen my children run to me when they are scared.  She opened her wings wide, nudged his head, and then looked back to the others.  I was already doing my best to scoop up the next one. And, just like his brother, he did the same thing – went straight to his mama, who gladly welcomed him.

 Seeing that their brothers had safely reached their mama, the other little ducklings didn’t try to run from me at all. In fact, one tried to get into my hand on his own, knowing he could be with his mama.  Just so he could be with his mama!

 I thought how wonderful it is that even in the animal world, babies just want their mama. Even little ducks at Costco needed comfort from their mother.  In one little frozen moment of time, I learned more about mothering than could ever be taught to me through words. 

 There are so many lessons to be learned from this experience.  What lessons can you see? (Aside from the fact that I was never meant to be a Disney Princess.)

QUESTION: What lessons can we learn from this family of ducks?
CHALLENGE: Find time to thank a woman today for her mothering influence and example in your life.

 

About Kathy Penrod

I am a mom of five children, four active boys followed by an adorable girl full of personality! Almost 15 years into this motherhood thing and still trying to figure out what I am doing. Between carpools, dentist appointments, football practice, and an attempt on personal hobbies -- who has time for dishes??