The stress was piling on. The "fires" were popping up left and right. Urgent phone calls had to be made. My head was spinning. I had to take a walk...

I took my normal route, breathing deep into my belly to calm myself. As I reached the turnaround point of my route (a big pond full of ducks, geese, blackbirds, cormorants, etc.), I finally felt the tension loosening its grip. Just as I was nearing the point where I could give myself permission to let go, just as the sense of calm and freedom stress began to return, just then...

I looked up to see two ducklings splashing in the pond together like children, diving in and out of the water in some game, with Mama duck swimming vigilantly and protectively between me and them. That was when the grip loosened. I couldn't help but smile.

It was just the right thing.