Make Way for Ducklings

We churned through the miles on a 4-lane highway at 70 mph, focused less on the experience of travel and more on an expedient arrival at our destination. Suddenly, several cars in front of us braked and swerved as if to dodge an obstacle on the road.  We also slowed and soon spotted the “obstruction” for ourselves.

A mother duck waddled along with tiny babies scuttling behind, seemingly unaware of her plight.  She marched proudly with head held high across the centerline and into the lanes of oncoming traffic. 

We exclaimed involuntarily as we passed by: “Oh look!” and, “How sweet!” followed by a panicked, “Watch out, mama!”  Surely they would never make it to the other side.  Several cars and a large semi were approaching from the opposite direction, bearing down at breakneck speed.

We watched in our rear view mirrors, and saw….red brake lights and more red brake lights. The driver of every vehicle, no doubt as surprised as we were, made every attempt to avoid hitting the duck family. Even the trucker, who didn’t have time to gear down, braked and swished from one lane to the other.   Our last glimpse proved mama and babies had made it safely to the other side on the grassy berm.

We drove on, grateful for their safe passage in perilous conditions, but also grateful for the opportunity to witness unrehearsed, spontaneous human reactions testifying to the pro-life heart of mankind.