Make Way

I've been a little cranky with my students. As is usually the case this time of year, the students are feeling the need to stretch their wings a bit. Some are not quite as focused on the academics of the school day and are, shall we say, making some poor choices. Some days it can be hard to watch. It's easy to get annoyed with kids who continually don't have their work done. It's hard to watch them make the missteps that come with their age.

I gained a bit of perspective on the situation after watching the evening news last night. The local news wrapped up with a short segment of a mother duck watching her brood as they climbed a set of stairs near the White House. Is there anything cuter than baby ducks? Sure there is...it's a mother and her baby ducks.

The great thing about this mother was the way she watched over her group. She didn't assist them in the climb, instead she stood by quietly as each and every one did their best to make their way to the top. She watch patiently as some straddled a step and then fell back down. Yes, there were missteps along the way, but in the end each little duckling was able to climb the final step. And when they did their proud mother was there waiting to congratulate them.