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Mother continues to enjoy her new apartment in a nice senior complex. I truly admire her decision to move from a home she enjoyed in order to relocate to a simpler and more protected environment. She did this for her kids, clearly wanting to do all she could to make their future care-taking tasks as uncomplicated as possible. Mom is a thoughtful, gracious, and unselfish woman — and those qualities in her shine all the more as she ages…

Since the move our phone conversations have become less frequent, which I miss, yet am glad for, as mom is off playing bingo, attending music performances, learning yoga, and bowling (Wi) with new friends. She is such a social being… When we do catch a conversation mom is excited and pleased, talking non-stop about her new-found freedom and surprising adventures. Two things that delight her are having the apartment cleaned each week and eating delicious dinners in the dining room on white linen table cloths! For all the hard work she has done for her family over the years, it warms my heart that she is being treated so well. Much deserved. More than anything, we are grateful that mom’s health is good and that she can enjoy the resources around her. Each of us wants to maximize all opportunities to enjoy life with our mother. Each day is a gift…

But perhaps the most surprising discovery mom has made is tied to her choice of a ground floor apartment overlooking a lovely lake. This is the first time in her long life that she has lived on the water, and seeing it through two seasons fascinates her, particularly monitoring the geese and ducks that claim this body of water as their home. She has always loved birds and fowl, particularly mallards, and is enthralled with how these geese have selected mates, cared for each other, built their nests, kept their eggs warm and safe, tended their young, and protected their families.

Right now there are three “families” of geese and ducks that occupy mom’s lake. She knows how many little ones each family has, which are the mother and father, where they have their nests, and their daily routine. Sometimes I think mom is obsessed with these creatures, yet these “neighbors” seem to be quite special to all the residents of this senior complex, and are a regular topic of discussion at meals. Often they come up on her patio and look in the windows. Knowing my mother, she may already have invited them in for something to eat! (However, she would never admit to that!)

But what mother most admires about these geese and ducks is the teamwork and dedication that both parents give to raising their young. Both mother and father take turns watching the nest, gathering food, and nurturing the babies. And when they go on an outing around the lake they travel in a formation with mother leading the brood, and father following at the end making sure that each little one is safe.

These family units impress my mother, as she has a strong belief that this is how it should be for all families. Thinking about it now, this is the very model she and dad believed in and practiced while raising their own children…

Mom would want to tell all families that children need the love, care, and protection of both parents. She would want parents to work together as a team in doing what is best for their children. And she would want parents to always take care of each other…

Canadian Geese Family

Canadian Geese Family in the School Yard