A few weeks ago, as I walked through the park on a wonderfully sunny day with a friend, we happened upon 13 baby Canada geese swimming peacefully in the river with 2 adults (their parents we assumed). The lesson for the day, it seemed, was not only how to swim upstream, but also up and over a damn.
One adult geese (my friend decided it was Dad) set the pace by remaining front and centre, while the other (Mom) stayed at the very back ensuring her babies didn't get swept back into the river's flow. The damn had two levels with the highest point allowing only a trickle of water to flow and the lowest giving way to white frothing waters that cascaded down. Dad, being an old pro, led the group to the spot on the damn where the river only trickled. Up the damn he flew, expecting the little ones to be overjoyed at mimicking him. But one young little goose, who was courageously next in line, did not follow the lead. It seemed he had other ideas; he was going to battle the great cascade! And so he led all his siblings into the fast run of the river. They must have all been paddling furiously below the waterline to stay even remotely close to the waterfall, but they did for quite some time. Dad waited patiently at the top of the damn, and Mom looked on patiently from behind. All 13 babies stared at the great cascade, wondering how on earth they would make it past the torrent of water!
The strength of the water's waves eventually pushed them back away from the falls, enough so that Mom could steer them back to the pathway Dad had suggested, nudging at them, hinting that he had given them a better idea. But once again, newborn stubbornness took hold and the courageous little one led all his brothers and sisters back to the great cascade!
Now, as humans, our ego would continue to insist that pushing past the great cascade would be an accomplishment, a great feat of which to be proud. At the same time we would be saying to ourselves, "Wait until we tell all our friends how we hung in there"!
But, with the geese, nature took a different turn. It seemed that Mom and Dad understood they were getting nowhere with the lesson, so Dad came back down the damn and led the young ones to the west bank of the river for some food. (Perhaps even Canada geese do emotional eating!). With full bellies, Dad once again led his charge but this time, instead of going to the damn, he took them on a detour across the river to the east bank. It wasn't a determined swim, or a furious dash to the finish, nor did Mom and Dad push all 13 little bodies across the water. They all swam leisurely, first enjoying the lull of the water, then exploring the grasses when they reached the other side. And another picnic ensued!
Another 15 minutes passed before Dad marched up a hill next to the damn with 14 geese behind him. Mom stopped long enough to check out the humans watching the spectacle, herding her young away for protection. A human mother, true to her own instinct, held her arm out in front of her child to protect him from the geese. Perhaps we're not that different than our feathered friends! One in front of another, the geese marched on, until the parents had led them to the lowest point on the east bank - past the waterfall damn! The babies gladly followed Dad, and Mom's job got easier! And so they resumed their swim beyond the waterfall, flowing with peace for having taken a different path, never having had to battle the great cascade!
So the planned lesson for the baby geese wasn't successful. Yet perhaps there was a more pertinent learning that day - and this is meant mostly for us humans - there is more than one path to where you want to go. Pushing and striving and trying harder on the one path you've set your mind on may not be the answer. You may find the answer when you take the detour. Enjoy the scenery. You may just see something you couldn't see before! Take it from nature, it works.
May you find your path with grace and ease.
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