Not the ducks, July 5 Daily Reflection

Ethan feeding the ducks

I took my kids and my 93 year old grandmother to feed the ducks at Cave Hill Cemetery last week. I went in fear that I would be attacked by a duck. The last time we visited the cemetery and fed the ducks was about 4 years ago; Jake was only 2 years old and in my arms, Spencer who was 4 at the time chased and aggravated the ducks and Anna, age 6 ran away from them after she saw one snap my leg. I was not looking forward to reliving the same experience.

However, this time was different. My kids are all older and not scared of the ducks. The ducks seemed a little more tamed and my children had a fun time feeding them. They each had their own bread bag. Some took longer than others to toss out their bread crumbs. As each bag emptied my children began to chase the ducks to watch them fly onto the pond. It was quite the challenge. Then they found the tree you see in the picture. They climbed it and each found a comfortable branch to rest on away from the ducks.

History does repeat itself but not always. So many times we build situations up in our minds to be horrible and horrific. But when they happen it seems they are never as bad as what we once imagined. My grandmother truly enjoyed watching her great grandchildren run and chase the ducks after feeding them.  She said “I will dream and think about this all week.” When the feeding and chasing was completed I sat on the bench with grandma and said to her “This is so beautiful and peaceful.” I actually sat with her and relaxed as I watched the ducks float by and heard my children playing in the tree. No this was not nearly as bad as I had imagined it would be.  Instead it was relaxing and fun to watch.

Today, think about a situation in your life that you are dreading. Consider this, it may not be as bad as you think it will be.

Leave a Reply