The other day, we were visiting the Provinces and on our way back to the city, we brought with us a friend and his pet duck. The duck was not all that comfortable being in the van at first. It started squawking loudly and thrashing its wings, making the ride difficult for everyone… so the man picked up the duck and held on to it like a baby. Fortunately for all of us in the van, the duck quieted down, and with the exceptional release of gas and fecal matter, the ride back was tolerable, albeit with the windows down at times to bring in fresh air.

During the long ride back home, I thought about how people and animals are similar. No one likes to be alone in threatening situations, and sometimes having someone you trust close by can make a difficult situation more comfortable. Wouldn’t it be nice if we all were more like this man, who demonstrated kindness and trustworthiness to a creature in need?

The man was very gracious when we left him off at his home and invited us to dinner, as compensation. I asked him what was on the menu, just to be polite, and his response was ”Well… duck of course.”

I politely declined the invitation, but as we completed our journey home, I couldn’t help but think of the duck and the many people I know who don’t realize that the people they’ve placed their trust in may have selfish motives behind their actions.