Lessons of a swan

There is a graceful black swan that lives in our subdivision. She glides up and down the stream that runs behind our house.

She often hangs out with a family of ducks, who have clearly adoped her. She is well fed by the stream and also the neighbors who come out from their homes to visit with her and throw her bread.

I have heard, and conventional wisdom says:
"It is not good to feed wildlife," And I have read many signs saying "Don't feed the wildlife."

The reason, I have been told is because it makes the wildlife depend on humans for food and they need to care for and find food for themselves.
Now if this were an alligator, I would have no problem following that advice.

But as she glides along, she is beautiful, regal. She honks when she sees you, as if to say "hello." Her tail feathers waggle as she dives her head into the water for the crumbs that fall around her; and if a fish or turtle grabs the crumb first, you hear her hiss.

But when the last morsel has been swallowed, she glides away, without looking back.

Maybe she is teaching us a Swan Lesson:

Yes, we need to learn the lifeskills to care for ourselves
Yes, we need to accept gifts from one another
Yes, when it is time to leave, we need not look back, but carry the grace of this swan with us in our heart.

Blessings,