You beg the goose, come here, come here! But
the goose runs along and beckons you to follow his pace wherever.
The trick is keeping your eyes fixed and never losing
sight of his whereabouts. Remember: the joy is forever in the adventure.
One particular wild goose day I’ll share.
Destiny calling me to a man’s bedside, a one-legged
man I’d only met once or twice. At first I couldn’t find him anywhere. But
everywhere I went I picked up treasures just for him.
The first stop: a gift shop selling floral bouquets.
The one I favored featured a pink bird amid a garden of pink and white roses
set in a porcelain rose-covered teacup and saucer.
“Perfect,” said the heart.
“How silly is that,” said reason. “We’re talking a guy
who wears a red cap and whose theme song is ‘Over my dead body will they take
my guns away.’ And you’re seriously taking a pink bird to his bedside?”
Beware lest logic talk you out of a wonder.
Just go with the goose and the heart and land on one
treasure trove after another.
Next stop: a hospital giftshop. The one-legged man wasn’t there, but
who cares? The wild goose shows me the word Serenity on a stone heart,
then a healing card that can’t go wrong.
At last I reach Harmony rehab and find the one-legged
man sitting up in his bed.
“Just a little something to brighten your room,” I say
as I hand him the pink bird bouquet. His eyes fill with delight at such a crazy
surprise.
He holds the heart stone in the palm of his hand as
though gifted with a diamond and soaks in the single word.
“Do you know that whole prayer?” I ask. “Most only
know the first part, that famous verse, those common four lines.” You know
those, right?" And we say it in unison.
Lord, grant me the serenity to accept
the things I cannot change.
Courage to change the things I can
And wisdom to know the difference.
Then I go on about accepting hardships as the pathway
to peace, surrendering to his will, and trusting that God will make all things
right. I recite it all by heart until forever and ever amen.
Have you had a wild goose day too? Tell me yours.
