This was me
and this was you,
our wings be-fuzzed,
mysterious, new.
Tipping, toppling,
learning where
we stopped and started,
unaware
of cliffs and quicksand,
Pandora’s box,
we braved the world
of thorns and rocks.
Or so we thought. The really brave
were those close by
who hovered and watched
with wary eye,
letting us learn
from life’s tough classes
even if we fell
on our little
ummm
grasses.
Tomorrow is Mothers’ Day here; I am not a fan. I think it’s become a national day of panic. But that does not mean I don’t value mothering. I absolutely do. There are many who mother even if they’ve never given birth, and I salute every one.
Please pardon the quality of the photo, dear reader. You probably, and rightly, guessed that I was hunched down behind Venetian blinds muttering to that baby to HOLD STILL. He didn’t. Mother Goose (so to speak) did not cast a benign eye on me.
Oddments 
May 7, 2022 at 10:14 am
Perfect! There are a lot of special women out there who have guided us along the way, and their input is and was greatly appreciated. The media has ruined Mother’s Day in that it is all about $$$. In reality, a 30 minute visit over maybe coffee and dessert would be the perfect gift. That being said, I wish you a wonderful Sunday!
May 7, 2022 at 11:47 am
And the same to you, Judy — thank you! I do like the part about dessert! And time. You’re so right about Mothers’ Day; I feel like covering my ears and my eyes for the weeks leading up to it. Nothing compares with those handmade notes so lovingly drawn on (with jelly) years ago.
May 7, 2022 at 12:22 pm
I like this, a lot. It’s always interesting to see mothers nudging the little ones along. We could learn a lot from the lessons that prepare offspring to deal with the world (as opposed to trying to prevent the world from intruding). We take a muted approach to Mother’s Day and the other Hallmark holidays. I hope you have a wonderful weekend.
May 7, 2022 at 12:33 pm
Thanks, Dan, and a wonderful weekend to you too. I love your word “muted” about observing Hallmark holidays. Exactly. And I also agree with your sentiment about preparing our descendants for the world. It’s a fine line parents walk between too protective and not protective enough. If I had to parent today, I don’t know what I’d do. It’s simpler for the geese, I think.
May 7, 2022 at 3:13 pm
Ducklings and goslings are just too adorable! Once I watched from a window as a tiny Canada gosling jumped into tiny pot hole, not larger than a teacup, full of water. Peddling about till it was called to join the brood. No camera at hand to recored the moment but it’s etched in my memory.
Mothers and all care givers should be cherished and thanked every day of the year.
May 7, 2022 at 4:14 pm
Definitely a photo op missed, but it’s still a great mental photo. And, yes, all caregivers merit daily kudos!
May 13, 2022 at 4:09 am
What sweet little wings. If he’d have kept still, we’d not have been able to enjoy the contrast with his sister (surely?) calmly observing from the right.
May 13, 2022 at 1:19 pm
I do like that — his sister watching calmly. You know I am not fond of these birds, but I think I have seen an amazing protectiveness among them, not just the parents, which would be expected, but among the siblings. I bet that sister was poised to pick him up! And you are so right about the advantage to the sort-of action shot; if he’d been still, we’d not have seen his get-up-and-go.
May 17, 2022 at 12:44 am
I am sure birds and animals have qualities we think of as human.