A Wild Goose Day

 

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.