Life Lessons from Geese

This past weekend the weather was so nice I was outside a lot.  Several times I heard a flock of geese going over.  I always stop what I am doing, watch them and listen to their honking.  I’m pretty sure they were saying  “Hang on, it’s almost spring!” as they flew over.

I am not a geese expert, but I do know a few things about them. My first experience with a goose was a shoe store.  That’s right, a shoe store. My mother took me to a store in a nearby town to purchase shoes.  After we bought the shoes there was a big Goose on the counter. I seem to remember that it was gold in color too, but I’m not sure about that. I just remember that you could grab it’s head, pull forward and down, and popped a golden egg!  Inside the plastic egg were some sort of treats. Kind of hokey, I know, but to a kid it was a big deal.

My second encounter with geese happened during my first year of teaching and was not nearly as pleasant as the first. One of my teaching duties included recruiting students for the migrant program. This meant I often drove out in the country to do home visits. One day as I was going up to knock on a door I heard a honking noise and before I knew what was happening I realized I was about to get attacked by some killer geese. They were honking, hissing and coming at me as if I had just stolen their babies or something. I did the only thing I knew to do. I dropped my paper work and ran. I didn’t make it in the car, but up on the car hood.  Not very dignified, but it bought me some time and the lady of the house eventually came out and saved me.

My next geese connection was the movie Fly Away Home (1996). If you haven’t seen it, get it and watch it with your children.  It’s the story of a young girl and her father and how they rescue a flock of orphaned geese and help them fly back home. The tag line for the movie says, “To achieve the incredible, you have to attempt the impossible.”

So why am I giving thanks today for geese, because of the life lessons they can teach us.  This little video is only a little over two minutes in length, but well worth the time. Enjoy! And give thanks for the life lessons of geese!