Jay and I enjoy going on rides, and observing the world.
From the Kentucky country side to the lake at Lexington Green to the parking lot at Walmart (which never fails to showcase an interesting array of characters), we see the wonder of God’s Creation.
We love seeing the ducks and swans at the lake. As I watch them eagerly swimming over to greet us, it seems like a homecoming party.
Sometimes the ducks quack and it sounds like they are laughing. I laugh too.
The swans maintain their graceful demeanor, but they provide their own brand of entertainment. Sometimes they do a “handstand” as they go under water to seek a snack.
And, of course, it fascinates me how God created them with built in pillows. They simply unfurl their long necks and lay their heads on their own feathers.
As much as the ducks seem happy in their home at the lake, they occasionally have a street party. They block the street and seem undeterred by approaching traffic.
Sometimes we have met strangers, as we worked together to encourage the ducks to move. The ducks laughed.
Even with a whole pond to get their feet wet, the ducks seem to love playing in the puddles after a rain. They jump up and down and watch each other make duck footprints on the dry pavement.
As I watch them play or swim peacefully around the lake, I wonder what they are thinking. I wonder how in such chaotic world, they achieve such peace.
Surely a duck or swan must have an off day, when life is not perfect. But they keep paddling. They keep gliding. They keep laughing.
They keep coming over to greet friends and strangers. They keep peacefully living together, even though they are not alike.
We could learn much from our feathered friends. When we leave the lake, sometimes I think I hear them say, “Good night. See you tomorrow.”
No matter what the day has brought, I feel renewed and ready to make a few more laps on my journey on dry land.
It is a beautiful world. Louis Armstrong did not mention swans and ducks in his song, but he captured their message. It’s a beautiful world!
Here is the link to his song.
