Good Afternoon Journal & Friends,
One fond memory I have as a kid was when we raised Sammy The Duck. My Mom got one of those little heat lamp contraptions, and we hatched Sammy from an egg. It was a great experience for us kids, and we watched closely every day to see if "our" duck was going to be born. And we all know how adorable a baby duck is!
We had a Cockapoo at the time, and Sammy must have imprinted on that dog, because when Sammy got big enough to run around in our back yard, he followed Missy EVERYWHERE. And I still remember stepping in "duck squirt" in our backyard. :-}
When Sammy grew up, we took him to Echo Park in Los Angeles, CA, and let him go. It had a huge duck pond with Duck Island in the middle, where most of the ducks slept safetly at night. We cried, but we knew he would be happier with other ducks (well, that's what Momma told us, and we tried to accept it). We visited several times after that, and much to our delight, a handsome "big boy duck" would come running/waddling up to us, quacking in recognition.
I'm remembering all that today because I watched a fascinating video this morning of an eaglet being born. The Eagle parents were so attentive, sitting on the trio of eggs to warm them, gently turning them, checking them. Yet when the time came to be born, the parent Eagles did NOT help the struggling eaglets to emerge. The baby eagles had to do the work themselves. It took time... it was a difficult process. Yet in that process, they became stronger and continued to develop, so that when they fully emerged, they were ready for their new lives.
It's obvious where I'm going with that. As I watched the video, and remembered that my Mom would not let us "help" Sammy to hatch, I realized that I have frequently whined about how hard MY process of change is sometimes. I wish it were easier... I long for it to be over... I get tired of all the effort... yadda yadda yadda...
Yet, if the analogy holds true, then that very struggle that I pout about at times is what is making me stronger. Hmmm... yet another attitude for me to work on!
Baby Eagle Hatching
(if you want to skip ahead, the eaglet first starts pecking out at about 4:40)
From Dr Phil's book: "When you do things differently, giving up those parts of your life that have been self-defeating for those which are self-affirming, your weight, your health, and your life change dramatically. You acquire self-discipline and strength."
My verse for today: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."
My quote for today: "Everybody ends up somewhere. Few people end up somewhere ON PURPOSE." --Craig Groeschel
DAY 634
7 comments:
Aaawww...those little roly poly balls of fluff are so sweet...I actually watched the whole video which is a big accomplishment for me.
I guess the struggle does contribute to our strength.
Thank you for all the sharing with us you do Loretta! You have been very helpful to me on my weight loss journey. It may take longer than we like to make it to goal but like the hatching eagle we'll get strong along the way to KEEP it off!
Nancy
Hey...good analogy. Each thing or trial we go through is helping us gain tools for the future. It's sometimes hard to remember that when we are in the middle of the battle, but when we are through it...we are going to have an awesome tool box.
Oh I love little ducklings so much! They are just so cute! Great post!!
I've been thinking much along the same lines lately. In fact, when I repost my 'real' goals and focus for weight loss, I'll be including a little of this. You beat me to it. :) Deb
Cute childhood story! Yes, struggling definitely makes us stronger and smarter.
Yes, it makes us stronger. Maybe it'll help you if you keep in mind the struggle is part of the process. It's how we learn. How the lessons become ingrained.
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