TO TAKE PAUSE is sometimes necessary, as in a recent road encounter in the southeastern Minnesota community of Byron. Two Canadian geese hurriedly crossed a downtown street, their long legs stretching, necks craning, wings lifting in flight.
They understood the danger of approaching vehicles. And we, in our vehicles, understood the need to stop and allow them to go safely on their way.
This marked, in some ways, a sweet moment in time when all of us on that roadway paused in our journeys to respect these geese, who were really at our mercy.
It felt good to be in community on this mid-March morning without thought of differences or division, but rather in communal understanding that we all needed to do what was right. Sometimes that’s all it takes to realize that we truly can work together for the common good, this time for the common good of those birds. And I suppose for us, too, as I doubt anyone wanted a goose in their radiator.
There are lessons to be learned in everyday life. Lessons in patience and understanding and cooperation. On this winter morning in Minnesota, two geese taught all of us to slow down, to work together, to recognize that little moments matter in life as much as the big moments. The lives of those geese mattered enough for all of us to stop and that is a lesson we can take with us into our communities, our country, our world.
THOUGHTS? Any similar stories to share of an everyday moment like this with lessons learned?
© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
Minnesota Prairie Roots 
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