The Less of These…
A bee lay unmoving on the sidewalk in front of me. I walked past it, thinking it was dead. Then, a still, small voice whispered in my head: move it. I grabbed a stick, walked back to the bee, and held it in such a way that allowed the bee to climb onto the stick. Slowly, I walked over to a honeysuckle bush, put the stick on the bush, and the bee crawled onto a flower. The bee looked exhausted, as though it had given up hope, and I could totally relate.
I am in the habit of moving snails whenever I see them on the sidewalk, as well. I pick them up, walk toward wherever they're traveling, and place them safely out of harm’s way. One of the things I detest most is seeing a crushed snail on the ground, but I hate it more when I’m the one who accidentally smashes it underfoot. Needless to say, I am always on the lookout for passing snails. You see, animals, insects, and frightened living creatures have a way of finding me. My family can attest to this. In fact, if I pass away before my husband, he has vowed to move snails to safety, and I think that is a beautiful way to honor my life: to pay homage to the less of these… the tiny lives that cannot possibly repay a good deed.
Last Thursday, I found a crying duckling on my morning walk around the lake. I sat down to make sure it was okay, and it climbed into my lap. It had to be about six weeks old, and it was cold, shivering, and terrified. My husband and I researched how to help an abandoned duckling. Google informed us that we needed to walk around the lake as the duckling cried. If it’s mother heard it, she would promptly charge us and receive her duckling back. Though I wasn’t looking forward to meeting up with an angry mama duck, I really wanted to help this sad, little sweetie.
We spent over an hour searching, and though we found geese families, there were no duck families to be seen. That’s when we decided to take the little duckling home. We needed to keep it safe and find it a home. As my husband and I cared for yet another sweet creature, we decided to give it a name. Though we had no clue if the duckling was a boy or a girl, Sawyer was what we landed on. Sawyer is a bit androgynous, and it reminded me of the ducks near Tom Sawyer’s Island at Disneyland, or what used to be Tom Sawyer’s Island.
For two days, we tended to Sawyer, and with the help of an amazing friend, we found him a home on Saturday. The family was so excited to welcome this baby into their flock, but Sawyer needed more care than they could give. They were able to give Sawyer another safe place to land at a duck rescue in Lake Elsinore, California. Over the past week, my husband and I also found out that Sawyer was an “Easter” duck. These are ducklings sold at places, like Kahoots, during Easter. Many families purchase these duckies, and then drop them at nearby lakes. This is a thing, Dear Reader, and you may be as shocked as I was when I found out.
The woman who dropped off Sawyer, and another duckling that I did not find, said Kahoots told her it was okay to drop the ducklings at a pond or lake when they are six weeks old. This woman has been dropping ducklings at my lake for years. Yikes! Though I am angry with her naivety, I am grateful that, in the end, she did do right by Sawyer. She helped take him to the duck sanctuary and paid for his placement. I don’t type these words to shame this woman. I type them to remind you that little things, and tiny creatures, matter. At least, they matter significantly to me.
So, what does all this mean? Why write this post to begin with? I write it because, a year from now, I’d like to remember the day that I saved a duckling. A year from now, I’d like to see that I took the time to help something less fortunate than me. A year from now, I hope this woman will no longer drop off “Easter” ducks at my neighborhood lake. In fact, she may even teach others not to do the same. Who knows? She may become an advocate for the tiny creatures who cannot repay her kindness. In the end, isn’t that what matters most?
Think of me the next time you see an exhausted bee or traveling snail, and perhaps, sweet friend, you will help them along their journeys, as well. Perhaps, you will also make the time to help the less of these.
