Mom and Mr. Goose

In honor of this special day, I wanted to share a story about my own mother, Anne.

I could tell a thousand stories about my mom - a five-foot-tall dynamo who is smart and hardworking, never afraid to speak her mind or fight for what she believes in and one of the best cooks in the world (okay, maybe I’m biased but still, come for a family dinner one night and I think you’ll agree with me) – but today I want to share about Mom and Mr. Goose.

Yes, I said Mr. Goose, not Mother Goose.

Mr. Goose was not a nursery rhyme character but instead a wild Canadian goose who came into our lives after an encounter with a car left him unable to fly. For a wild goose, this encounter would have been a death sentence, as it meant he couldn’t fly south or even fly up into the air to escape predators. Lucky for Mr. Goose, our neighbor brought him to my mom who with her usual efficiency came up with a way to keep him fed and safe, making the pond out front his home.

I can’t remember how many years Mr. Goose lived with my parents, at least a dozen or more, there was a Mrs. Goose for a while, and he was still there when I left for college. Over this long relationship, my mom and Mr. Goose developed a special bond, growing so close that he would even let her feed him by hand.

And Mr. Goose listened to her too. One time, during his long life, Mr. Goose went missing. Worried, my parents went to search for him, finding him a few miles away at a nearby park. When my mom saw him, she yelled at him to get back home. If any of you know my mom, you won’t be the least bit surprised to hear he did exactly what she said!

At the end of his life, Mr. Goose even came up onto the front porch to sit with her, letting her pet him softly. After a while, he walked away, and Mom knew she’d never see him again. He’d come to say goodbye to the woman who had loved him, bossed him, and protected him for a much longer life than he ever would have lived without her.

And I’m sure Mr. Goose is still with her in spirit. So, in his honor, and to express the words of all the many people and animals who have been mothered by my amazing mom (including me), thank you for your fierce unwavering love and kindness. We are so grateful for you.

Hmmm. . . Perhaps this story was about Mother Goose after all.