father goose

my husband is a wonderful man. he works hard. he cares about people. he is loyal. he looks out for others. he is patient. he takes care of things. he takes care of me. he "watches over" and "keeps" me, our home, our expenses and goals, our dreams. he reminds me of a father goose...

weeks ago i stopped by the post office near our home to mail a package to my sister. on my way in, i noticed a goose waddling by the door. he seemed out of place, so close to "the public", but i disregarded him and kept walking in. only when others kept mentioning his presence too, did i look around and see that his partner was nesting in the flower box, yards from the post office entrance. this father goose was on guard, hissing at anyone who got too close, protecting his partner and their eggs. on my way out, i snapped some pictures, and mother goose even stood up to show off her five or six large eggs. so exciting!
last week, on my walk with our dog, i decided to pass the post office again to see if the eggs had hatched yet and if the couple were still around. I stayed far back, because I didn't want to alarm them (or our dog who is quite "fond" of geese), but from the sidewalk I could see that father goose was still on patrol, and mother goose's lovely black and white neck was sticking up from the flower planter. weeks later (who knows how long that must seem in "geese time"), still waiting, sitting faithfully, with her partner still protecting... waiting for their next chapter to begin with their young. i got a little choked up, seeing this. it was lovely.

when i pause to take notice, i find that i am similarly cared for, with a partner who stands by me, waiting patiently, and faithfully tending to my needs. basic and complex. what a wonderful design, to walk through the challenges of life with a loyal friend.