Somewhere, There Is Water

In their element.

What if ducks are the universe's way of proving that elegance and chaos can coexist?

No, wait - hear me out. I know that sounds a bit absurd and out of the blue, but there's a nugget of meaning here, I promise.

Ducks have always been a favorite animal of mine. They're adorable. They mate for life. They star in some of my favorite childhood memories, whether at a park with a pond, or cartoons, or fairy tales. They provide metaphorical framework for platitudinal wisdom ("If it walks like a duck, and talks like a duck...") But, in real life, they hold polarity that is at once endearing and thought provoking.

In the air, they're teamwork in motion. On the water, they glide like royalty. When they eat, it's the cutest tail presentation in nature as they reach for their meal under the water's surface.

In contrast, on land they waddle drunkenly, slap flat feet, and sound like defective kazoos.

But they are unbothered by this contradiction. Why? How can they go about their business as ducks without self-consciousness or self-judgment? Because they operate from a place of being authentic.

I've been a duck on land more often than I care to admit. Trying to match someone else's tempo. Trying to be loud when I'm thoughtful. Trying to be trendy when I'm classic. Trying to sprint in spaces designed for spectacle when my strength lives in depth. And every time, I've mistaken discomfort for failure.

Ducks don't lose sleep over their land-waddle. They are unbothered that they would be chosen last for a solo spot in a choir performance. They know that they are ducks. Their grace lives in water and sky. That is where they shine, because that is where they belong.

So the existential takeaway from our quacking friends: Struggling in one environment does not cancel your capacity. It may simply mean you're standing on the wrong surface. Maybe you're just measuring yourself with the wrong measuring tape. Before you're too hard on yourself, it’s important to ask this honest question: Am I struggling because I'm incapable - or because I'm out of my element?

Not every surface was designed for you to shine. But somewhere, there is water.