#21348 Lame Ducks

THURSDAY, JUNE 15, 2017

I have a young flock of 5 Pekin ducks….. (and 2 older Pekin ducks and 4 Mallards, but that’s beside the point).  We got these 5 ducklings early March of this year.  As they grew, I realized two are essentially lame.  One of them just scoots along.  She’s low to the ground and can’t lift her body up to move.  The other has a leg that cocks to the outside so she is always walking with a limp.

I don’t see myself spending tons of money at the vet to get these ducks diagnosed or “fixed.”  But I have felt pretty sorry for them.  And slightly annoyed and worried.  How will these ducks survive out here long term?!?! I’ve asked Don if he could “solve the problem” and never tell me because by telling me I would be culpable in their demise.  He wouldn’t.  So I’m left to struggle with this rag-tag bunch of ducks.

As I took this video I realized that these two lame ducks do soften me up a bit.  I love all the farm animals, but generally I’m speeding through the feeding, watering, and corralling of them. The healthy ones are managed quickly.  These lame girls require some tenderness.

I can use some extra tenderness and gentleness in my own life.  There are moments when I feel pretty lame myself.  At work, when I’m the old-timer, where I’m banking on my years of experience vs. the youngsters with their fresh ideas and new degrees. When I’m exercising and something pulls or pops causing me to be out of commission or popping Advil.  When I realize that my life is just a series of ordinary moments; I didn’t cure a disease or become a dot com billionaire.  Hell, I’m not even on reality television (I really should be though).

Those are the times that I need to be gentler to myself.  My ordinary life is a pretty great one.  A life filled with love and laughter and lots of looney moments.  Hoping for an abundance of grace for all the lame ducks on the farm.