Trish Lawson's Reflections

In the last two weeks during my many “Mom Taxi” trips to summer school, sport camps, and errands the presence of geese has been at a high! I have come to recognize that they are respected. Wait, don’t scroll!  Stay with me on this! 

I have a fear of geese ever since one chased me halfway down a path leading to a lake in Michigan in my 20’s (that run was my only and my personal best)! Then when Johnny was 3, there was one hanging out near a doctor office building we were entering. He or she came charging at him! Now anywhere we go and there are geese, they seem to gravitate in his direction and that is when I dub him the “Geese Whisperer.”

As I said, they are respected creatures. Primarily on Bullseye Lake Rd. and Calumet, they are constantly crossing with sweet goslings waddling along. While they are not protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act here, they are still respected and motorists, such as myself, stop and let them pass (sometimes they are in a rush and other times they are taking in the sights). 

Last week one of these crossings was happening and I was stopped along with a car coming the opposite way, when the driver behind him got out of his car and began to berate the man for stopping and used some vivid language explaining that these birds are “a dime a dozen, who cares.” The driver in the car remained calm and simply said, “Look around, we do. They are simply trying to get from point A to point B, same as us.” The angry driver got back in his car, backed up and sped off in the other direction ironically at the exact time the last goose made it across…there is something to be said about patience. The gentleman and I exchanged a smile and a wave and went about our ways.

Ok, Trish, so what is your point? If we, as children of God can offer enough respect to stop and let geese cross a road and offer them protection from passersby because it is the humane and just thing to do, then why is it so hard for people to do this with one another, human being to human being?

Respect is earned.  Just as I was taught and continue to instill in my children, to get respect, you must give respect. We are living in times where all over the world, anger seems to be “king.” It is hard to wake up and hear of all the unrest in this world and in the place, we call home. What do we do, we are just individuals, what difference can we make? It takes just one person to start a ripple effect (both in a positive or negative direction). Every action has a consequence - good or bad.

Stemming from a team building exercise that Pastor Kim led in our staff meeting this past Tuesday, one member of our beloved team quoted the inspirational Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and said, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that.” That got me thinking…

Thursday, June 19, 2025, from 5pm-6:30pm in the chapel this will be a time to light a candle and quietly reflect on what is weighing on your heart (personally, locally, nationally, globally…). The more light we produce, the more hope we bring to such unsettling times.

With love and light always,

Trish