Because we are putting in a new water line, I have a gi-normous hole in our yard. It looks like we are trying to bury someone / something – 4 feet long, two feet wide, and over 2 feet deep. As I walked by, my ducks waddled to get out of the way and our fat, clumsy female fowl fell in the hole.
Those of you who know my ducks know that they are a mis-matched pair of comedic relief. They are hilarious bits of feather and instinct. All quacks and fussing and not too many brains between the two. However, I was charmed as I watched the male duck volitionally jump in the hole – one he could not get out of (because domestic ducks cannot fly). He chose to place himself in a vulnerable and trapped situation, just so he could be near his mate. Even more heroic, when I got into the hole to lift them out, he spread his scrawny, bony wings across her in a protective gesture.
There are lots of arguments over the equality of men and women and battles over the various virtues of the sexes. And this blog post is not about all that. Really, I just have to say that I appreciated what I saw - a male choosing to be with and protect someone he cared about, even at the expense of his own safety. In a selfish world, this felt refreshingly selfLESS. And, whether this evolved over milennia or was created in an instant, at the end of the day, I credit God for the origin and design.
My silly Philleep … I venerate your chivalry.