George could feel his heart thumping loudly in his chest as he locked his tired wings and soared in to land on the still green waters of the big lake. This was his first winter triathlon with his new flock and he was in third place. One by one the ducks spashed into the cold lake and began paddling. George was thankful to give his wings a break. Once the were the water the rules were to keep them folded. The competitor behind him was closing in when he heard a couple of wing beats and then the honking of the goose that had been recruited as referee. He knew that duck had just been disqualified. He couldn’t stop for a second to see what had happened. He just had to focus on long powerful strokes of his webbed feet. The water was his best field. He grew up on the moving water of a river and many trips upstream helped develop his technique. He was gaining ground on the other two ducks ahead of him. George remained aware of his position in relation to his competition but ultimately he knew that he couldn’t focus on their race without losing his own. The were all three swimming neck and neck as they reached land. George could hear 3 sets of feet slapping the mud as he took the lead. Then, just a few yards from the finish line the slapping suddenly became two sets of duck feet. Then a distress call. Everyone stood still for a moment. The duck in third place had slipped and fallen. He had injured his ankle and was unable to finish. The rules didn’t require anyone to wait. George could simply walk the next few steps and be the winner but without a word he and the second place duck looked at each other and walked back to their injured friend. By the time they reached him he was up and limping. His ankle would heal but there was no way he could finish the race. George and the second place duck gently lifted their friend up and carried him across the finish line. George knew that being a champion was more than just finishing first. Sometimes the prize isn’t a ribbon or a trophy. It’s knowing that you have something far more valuable than praise.
Good night friends and be blessed throughout your days.
Announcement:
I am adding additional social media to my network. Eventually, I’ll be leaving Facebook behind for a multitude of reasons. Even though the Lloyd’s Lens Photography page is strictly non-political I have been restricted from interacting with followers with no explanation for why. But it’s not just that. For years now Facebook has throttled content providers in general. They encourage us to grow our audience and then want to sell us back the access to them. In addition, they collect and sell the data from our interaction. So Facebook has become an entanglement of thorns. In response I have created the Lloyd’s Lens Photography Discussion Group on MeWe. We can still interact directly on the blog but starting today I’ll be looking for more platforms that respect the privacy of my followers and don’t limit who gets to see the post.
I want you to join my group on MeWe: https://mewe.com/join/lloydslensphotographydiscussiongroup
Hey Friends! Just a quick reminder that Lloyds Lens Photography is available for portraits!
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