To Mate For Life

Over the past few weeks I've noticed a pair of ducks that have started hanging out near the entrance to my community. There is a little lake there and often as I'm leaving for work in the morning I will find these two bumbling around in the grass.  Whenever I see them I chuckle as I'm reminded that ducks mate for life.  

I've gotten to where look forward to them seeing me off to work in the mornings and greeting me upon my return in the evenings.  I can't imagine that ducks have very complex love affairs, but somehow these simple creatures with brains the size of peas, managed to easily master what man struggles with, the ability to commit a lifetime to one another.  They grant each other the comfort of knowing no matter what comes, they won't be alone. 

They are so good at it that this morning as I was leaving for work I saw them again. Only this time something was sadly different. The female lay in the middle of the street, a lifeless pile of feathers, while her mate diligently stood by, waddling in nervous circles around her.  Even when I pulled my car right up to them to survey this sad sight, he refused to leave her fallen side. 

I have to admit I spent most of my commute cursing the jackwad the ran her over as, based on where she lay, this was most likely intentional. In the end though, I was left with only admiration for my noble little friend as he taught me a little lesson in true love.  That love is a commitment and a promise to always be there as much as it is a feeling.  A promise that he kept.