Geese--A Love Story

by Janet Barwick in Saving Wildlife and WIld Places
Last fall while walking my dog through our community park, I was startled by a sound that I had never heard before (at least not in person).  The sound was similar to screeching chimpanzees that I had watched on shows like Mutual of Omaha Wild Kingdom during my youth.  But since I was standing in the middle of a park in Livingston, Montana, I knew the chance that a chimp was the source of the racket was impossible.  Over and over, the desperate screams echoed from the buildings and trees—louder and more frequent.  I was sincerely perplexed.
Through a process of elimination, I was able to narrow down the list of culprits as one of the many birds (geese, swans and ducks primarily) that make their home in the tributaries that spread from the Yellowstone River.  But was it really possible for a bird to make THAT sound?
Months passed, and each time I walked my dog through the Park, I continued to hear the unidentified cries from beneath the bridge until one day, my luck changed, and I was able to get a look at the bird that had been creating the ruckus—a beautiful white goose swimming under the bridge looking for its mate.  The goose would swim from one side to the next, crying out each time hoping to be reunited with its love.  Sadly, his companion was gone.
Each time I would hear the screeching, my heart would break.  I too know about lost love and the pain and torment each experience brings.  Could this be a universal truth shared by humans and animals alike?
For six long months, the white goose would continue to cry out for his mate until on a recent walk, I noticed an eerie silence—gone were the cries that I had listened to for so long.  Could it be that my goose had finally died of a broken heart?  Maybe he had finally given up and left the streamside ponds for bluer waters.
I walked to the spot where I had last seen him and to my surprise he hadn’t left.  He stood on the same spot that I had seen him before, but this time he was quiet.  What could have calmed him?  The answer stood right next to him—a Canada goose.  Inside I was jumping for joy!  Outside, I chuckled!

The world can be mysterious, and wonderful, and unexpected.  Sometimes the pain of lost love is only temporary…sometime it is not.  But I think that as long as your heart is open, you may find love in some surprising places.  The Beatles once sang “All you need is love”.  A love without bounds—just love!  I hope that my new friend never has to feel the pain of lost love again.http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/jbarwick/geese--a_love_story.html