Lessons from the Geese Flying
Since the “official start” of summer, I have been seeing social media updates by moms expressing relief and rejoicing over the fact that they can now finally breathe and relax. No more school means no more grades to think about, no more requirements to fulfill, no more schedules to keep…..at least this is what many of us would like to believe once summer season hits. The truth, however, is that while summer does give us a break from the monotony of school structures, it has its own share of stress-inducing factors if we are not careful and deliberate in keeping with the spirit of having a “vacation”.
Since we are a homeschooling family, the kids and I are not really used to leaving the house everyday (or almost everyday) to go to class. This summer is a milestone for us, because for the first time (in forever…..ugh. I hate how Frozen songs involuntarily pop up in my brain– even if it’s summer!), we decided to enroll the kids in summer classes that would require us to leave the house. Now that I’m writing this down, I realize it’s just ONE class, actually, but it feels like a lot already! Still, it seems that everybody else assumes that everyone else is less busy, and so everybody ends up scheduling everything during this season! (Whew!)
And so, here we are again…..and we find ourselves still having a lot of schedules to keep, and sometimes, just as exhausted as when there was no official vacation.
Unless we guard ourselves, of course.
Just recently, we saw some geese while on vacation. (I know, not a very smooth transition there. hehe…)
Oh, what great things these geese teach us and remind us of, especially when it comes to doing life as a family.
As we all know, geese fly in groups while following their leader. They fly in V formations that– according to our Science teachers, help them propel each other as they fly, allowing them to fly more efficiently (less energy requirement) and more effectively (greater output with each flap of their wings). While in their V formation, there are moments when geese would exchange positions in order to “relieve” each other of the flying load. Some fall back, while other geese take their place. Whenever one of them is unable to continue, two or three other geese would stop and accompany that particular goose until such time that it can once again join the rest of the group (unless it dies).
Instinctively, geese know how to fly and stay as a unit. They know which position to assume in order to help the rest of the group soar higher and reach their destination faster. They know when they need to relieve the other geese of their load. They are sensitive enough to know when one of their kind is down and would need to rest. They even know how important a honk is as they journey together.
I wonder how we are doing as a family compared to these geese.
1. Are we flying as a unit?
Are we united? Do we have a common goal? Are we following our leader?
2. Are we fulfilling each of our God-given roles and positions?
Am I fulfilling my role and duty, thereby helping the rest of my family function and relate with each other better?
3. Are we tuned in to each other?
Are we sensitive enough to what the other members of our family are going through?
Do I know when someone needs a little push? If so, am I ready to assume the position I need to take in order to give him/her that boost?
Does someone actually need to slow down or stop? If this is the case, am I willing to drop everything, fall back, even stay behind?
Do members of my family know that it is okay to slow down, and that if they do, we would be there to slow down with them?
If God had given the geese the instinct to function as a unit, I’m sure God has wired it in each of us, too. He has designed our families to do life as a unit.
Oftentimes, we lose our formation because the world around us gets too demanding and noisy.
Perhaps it’s time we honked a little louder– I mean, communicate a little better, then.
Slow down.
Regroup.
Fly together again.
Comments
Post a Comment