Yesterday, late in the afternoon I was sitting at Lake Remembrance waiting on Donna so she and I could go for a walk. As I sat there looking at the lake, a formation of Canadian geese came in over the trees. After they cleared the trees and were over the water, they settled down to mere inches over the water before they all flared their wings and made a perfect synchronous landing. I marveled at the trust it took for each bird to fly in such close proximity to the other. One small error and at least two birds would have been in big trouble but that didn’t happen. Occasionally a bird would have to make a fast adjustment because of the position of the bird next to them, so they adjusted. There wasn’t any perceptible blaming, frustration or anger. There wasn’t any debate about why one bird had to adjust due to the actions of the other bird, they just adjusted and continued to move as a beautiful team. 

After they landed they gaggled up and began to chatter. No doubt they were discussing the details of their flight or the possibilities they might anticipate on this lake. The trust and familiarity they had with one another, earned as they navigated daily challenges, brought them together into a close knit community. They looked like a big bunch of corks bobbing up and down in the middle of the lake when all of a sudden they all turned into the wind and began to move across the lake to the west. Almost all of them, a few didn’t seem to be paying attention and were obviously surprised and momentarily confused when the whole gaggle began to move off and it was easy to see how much harder it was for them to cover the same distance by themselves. They had neither the support of the other birds or the draft advantage they would have had if they stayed with the rest.

As the sun was setting, I watched as the gaggle swam across the lake until they encountered a sheet of ice that impeded their progress. I assume they were heading for a sheltered cove to rest for the night but here they were, sun going down, in the middle of the lake and a barricade of ice in their path. Their community wisdom in the form of chatter could be heard all the way across the lake as they considered their options. Even the stragglers caught up and joined in the discussion. A lively debate ensued as first one bird and then another voiced their opinion. They could either swim back in the direction from which they came, they could fly over the ice to their destination or they could swim to the bank and walk. Each decision carried inherent risks as well as advantages. It might seem like a trivial matter but for them every choice they make determines whether they survive…or not. They were taking it seriously, taking their time and talking it out. Everyone was participating and all were respected. Don’t you wonder what they did?

Shalom,