Life In The Middle Today    By Colleen Pulley

A Lesson From The Duck Pond

In the first days of spring I took my granddaughter to our local library. There is a large pond at the back of the building with a sidewalk that circles the pond. This is one of the favorite sites for the little ones. They come to see and feed the resident ducks. Now, this spring I noted three new white ducklings on the far side of the pond. With the enticement of bread, the ducklings made their way across the pond towards us. I quickly snapped some pictures of them as they glided towards us. The bigger ducks quickly cut them off before they could get close enough to get any of the bread crumbs.

I remember looking at the pictures, after we went home, and thinking how hard it can be for the young, when they try to compete with more experienced adults. They often get the short end of the stick. However, in this case, my granddaughter, feeling sorry for the ducklings, grabbed several slices of bread, and as I distracted the bigger ducks, she ran to the opposite side of the pond where the three young ducklings were hoovering near the shore. She coaxed the ducklings to her, and before any bigger ducks could chase them away, fed the bread to them. I watched her jumping and dancing around, as she raced towards me. She had defeated the bigger, older ducks, and waved in victory to the little ducklings.

During the summer, the little ducklings shed their baby down, and developed smooth white feathers. They were big enough to join the other ducks, and get the choicest bread crumbs from the children who visited the pond. There was plenty of food, the days were warm, and long.

When fall arrived, there were still children throwing food to the ducks, but the days began to shorten. Many of the large Canadian Geese that had spent the summer at the pond, began gathering together and the annual migration began. I would watch the three ducks, as they fought over food. Now they had to swim along the shore of the pond and peck in the grass to find tasty parcels to eat.

In late November we took a trip to the library and went to the pond. We brought several loaves of stale bread for the ducks. I noticed there were few ducks at the pond. As we approached, the ducks hurriedly swam to us. Usually they would stay further away from us, but with decreasing food, the ducks came right up to us. My daughter had given her fifteen month old son a half slice of bread to eat on, when one of the ducks came right up to him and literally snatched the bread out of his mouth. As my Grandson let out an indignant whale of surprise, I capture the moment with my camera.

When we left, I thought about the duck pond. In the spring , summer, and even the early fall, the pond had been vibrant, and full of life. There had been plenty of food. It had been a safe haven for the ducks. With the gradual arrival of winter, the pond could no longer feed the large community of birds. The ducks and geese began recognizing that it was time to move on, if they wanted to survive. Maybe the ducks and geese that stayed at the pond were too old or too young to make it to those far away warmer places. They stayed, hoping the pond would sustain them through the winter.

I thought of that small group of hungry ducks coming at us looking for some bread, and overcoming their natural shyness in search of food. In the long run, it’s pretty easy to see things clearly when the choice is between hunger and enough food to survive the winter months.

Nature is a cruel taskmaster. The strongest and most fit survive, the others don’t. If animals face a severe winter, they don’t stay in their territory and die. They will encroach upon the neighboring territory, and whoever is the fittest will survive. This is the difference between natural law and humanity. We will respond to another’s suffering, and try to help. We have the ability to reason. With that reason we can make choices. We choose whether we want to do something. When we make a choice, we are required to face the consequences of those choices.

The world is a reflection of that duck pond in many ways. Some individuals are stronger than others and will put their own needs first to get what they want. Businesses compete against each other in economic battles and the stronger ones will win. Nations compete with one another and this often leads to conflicts. There is war in nations like Afghanistan and Iraq, and genocide in the Sudan. The competitive and survival mode of life is alive and well. Fortunately, there is another side to the story. There is peace and prosperity in some parts of the world and in the lives of many people. Life is good for many of us because people do have the ability to care for themselves and for others, including those who are less fortunate. Citizens actually following through and caring is what makes a society or nation truly great.

May we remember that the greatest gift of all is a giving heart. I hope as we approach a new year that each of us will be a little kinder, a little more understanding, and a little more willing to give to make another person’s road in life less of a burden. Until later...Colleen

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Copyright  2007     Leland Pulley