The Secrets of Dysfunctional Families

garybuss

ADULT CHILDREN
The Secrets of Dysfunctional Families John C. Friel, Linda D. Friel

The Goose

Once upon a time in a far away land called Northern Minnesota, there was a family of geese who lived on a quiet little pond on the outskirts of a small town. Mr. Gander and Mrs. Goose and their three goslings spent a lot of time in the pond, and they enjoyed their neighbors, Mr. Beaver and Mr. and Mrs. Loon. On sunny afternoons after the wind had died down, they would congregate near Mr. Beaver's house and talk about their families and their plans for the winter. Like all normal Minnesotans, the weather was always at the top of the list for conversation.

"Hot enough for you, Mrs. Goose!" asked Mr. Loon.

"Land sakes, yes!" replied Mrs. Goose, with a mock sigh of consternation in her voice.

"Well, I don't know," piped in Mr. Beaver. "I sort of like this weather."

Mr. Gander listened our of one ear as he gazed our over the pond and thought about what a wonderful life they had all made for themselves. His goslings were growing up faster than he had ever imagined, and he was thinking ahead to the trip south that they'd all be taking in a few months. He was even thinking beyond that, to the rime when they could return to this pond again after the long, cold Minnesota winter was over. He loved this place.

While all this adult conversation was going on, the three goslings were out in the middle of the pond skimming across the top of the water, feet paddling fast as they tried to get themselves airborne for the first time. None of them were to accomplish it today, but they would soon enough. As they stopped to rest, the Littlest Gosling spoke to his brother and sister. "You know, I haven't been feeling so great the past few days. My stomach has been a little queasy, and my head hurts just a bit."

"Well," his sister replied, "you're probably just anxious about the big trip south this winter. After all, it is a long way from home."

"Yes," his brother added, "and you've been working awfully hard to learn how to fly. Why don't you just go over by Mom and Dad and take a breather."

The Littlest Gosling frowned. "I don't know. It just feels like something; wrong. I can't quite put my wingtip on it, but something tells me things aren't right."

"You Silly Goose!" his brother and sister echoed in unison.

The Littlest Gosling began swimming toward the spot on the edge of the pond where his parents were. Before he reached them, he veered off to the left into a small cove lined with cattails and water lilies. He noticed a peculiar odor and spotted two dead fish floating bellies up on the surface of the water. He wondered if there was something wrong with his pond; and he wondered if that was why he was feeling a little sick.

He paddled out of the cove and around to his parents, Mr. Beaver, and Mr. and Mrs. Loon.

"Mom, Dad," he began, "I think there's something wrong with this pond. I think there's something in it that's making me sick." He gazed up into their eyes, awaiting that glimmer of pride and recognition in their expressions that would say they were interested in his discovery.

Instead, Mrs. Goose snapped, "0h, you Silly Goose! Whatever gave you that idea? Land sakes, son, you come up with the silliest notions sometimes".

That evening his parents, brother and sister all had a good laugh over the Littlest Gosling's "discovery".

"Why, we've been coming back to this pond every spring for as long as I can remember," spouted Mr. Gander. "And no one has ever been sick a day in his life since we've been here," added Mrs. Goose.

"Alright, alright," shouted the Littlest Gosling, "enough is enough!"

Over the next few days everyone forgot about the incident, and things pretty much went back to normal.

About two weeks Inter the Littlest Gosling began to feel sick again, but he'd learned his lesson the first time, so he didn't even think about telling anyone in the pond about it.

At first he didn't know quite what to do. He went back to the small cove and saw some more dead fish and smelled that smell again. Then he took a tour of the rest of the pond and discovered some of the same things going on. A few dead fish here and there, a funny smell and a slight headache and queasy stomach that wouldn't seem to go away.

By now he was able to fly, and although lie was feeling weak, he decided to break the rule that his parents had made for him and his brother and sister, and he flew up and over the edge of the pond and away. After gaining altitude, he noticed a big lake off in the distance with a large population of geese, ducks and loons, and so he headed toward it.

After a few minutes, he landed gracefully on the surface of the lake about 50 yards from a big gaggle of geese who were swimming about, enjoying the late afternoon sun. He was hesitant at first because his parents had told him not to leave his own pond, and because these geese were strangers. But they were very nice, and they invited him to come and join them in their conversation.

Soon after they began to talk, the Littlest Gosling told them what had been happening to him lately. As he talked, the Eldest Gander of the gaggle became very serious. The Littlest Gosling noticed that a frown swept across his face, and then suddenly the Eldest Gander began honking furiously.

"Where exactly do you live, son?" he asked the Littlest Gosling.

"A few minutes from here, as the goose flies," he answered. "In that pond behind that abandoned farm." The Eldest Gander honked even louder now.

"You must fly home and warn your family at once! And everyone else who lives there, too. That pond is poison! Believe me. We lived there once, too. His face grew sad. "I lost two of my goslings because of that pond."

The Littlest Gosling did not hesitate for an instant. He took to the air and flew directly to where his parents were swimming in the pond.

"Dad! Mom!" he shouted. "I know l'm not supposed to leave the pond, but I just had to get away. I was feeling so sick. And I was so curious. Anyway, I talked to some geese in a lake near here, and the Eldest Gander there said that the water in this pond is poison, and that he lost two goslings because of it. We need to get out of here right away!" he said excitedly.

Mr. Gander looked sternly at his son and said, "We told you never to leave this pond until we are all ready to fly south for the winter. You have broken our most important rule. We are very disappointed in you. Now go back to the nest and don't leave there until we tell you to!"

The Littlest Gosling was heartbroken and terrified. He didn't know what to do. He loved his family, and he wanted to be a good gosling, but he didn't want his family to die either. He began to return to the nest. When he was almost there, he suddenly turned, looked up into the sky, recalled the words of the Eldest Gander, and then flew off toward the big lake.

He had decided to live rather than to die but he was so deeply sad that he cried for the better part of four days. Members of the gaggle on the big lake would stop by to comfort him, and to tell him that he had made the right decision, but he still felt a deep pain inside.

On several occasions, he almost got up and new back to the pond, thinking that to die with his family would he better than to live with strangers. But each rime, something deep inside of him told him to stay put.

And then something happened. Almost three weeks after he had left home, he saw a lone goose, or was it a gosling, winging its way toward the lake. His eyes were riveted on the bird. His heart leaped when he realized that it was his brother. His brother had started to feel sick, too. He had got in a huge fight with Mr. Gander but had finally decided to join the Littlest Gosling. Three days later, his sister joined them and a week after that, so did Mrs. Goose. Finally one week later Mr. Gander, sick to his stomach and with a headache throbbing in his temples, joined the rest of the family on the big lake.

It took a lot of courage on their part, but once they were settled into their new home, Mr. and Mrs. Gander called a meeting of all the flocks.

As a hush settled over the late, Mr. Gander put his wing around the Littlest Gosling and said, "This is my Littlest Gosling. For a while I thought he was a Bad Little Gosling. I thought he was a Silly Goose. But he wasn't. We were the Silly Geese. And the Littlest Gosling saved our lives. We are proud of him."

A tear trickled down the beak of Mrs. Goose. It was a tear of pride and relief and gratitude. The Littlest Gosling's heart filled with warmth as every duck, loon, goose and gander on the big lake began honking their loudest honks and calling their loudest calls to celebrate his courage, wisdom and strength.

That winter they all flew south together and in the spring they returned to the big lake. They were pleased now to be a part of all the flocks safe in the knowledge that their water was pure, their friends were true and that their goslings would be able to grow up to be healthy and strong.

***

This story has lots of practical applications and I think it fits here very well. Anyone seen it before? GaryB

kitties_and_horses_oh_my!

Wow, that definitely strikes a nerve. Of course, the JW story would be the reverse, all the ducks in the big pond would be getting sick and then the little gossling would discover the healthy, safe little pond...

garybuss

Yes! They could as easily use it as me. They are waiting for me to fly into their big safe pond. Hahahaha

Loris

There are many on this board who share the pain of the littlest gosling. The pain of leaving the family in the sick pond is intense. There are those feelings of maybe it would be better to return to the family and die together in the sick pond. But self preservation takes over and the little goslings gain strength from the friendly geese in the big lake. Thanks Simon for being a wise and good Gander.

The sad reality is that not all of the family exhibit the good sense of the goose family. Many a gosling on this board has to face the fact that their family will choose to stay in the poison pond and will die there.

Thanks Gary for the story.

Loris

The Secrets of Dysfunctional Families - The Goose

garybuss

kitties_and_horses_oh_my!

garybuss

Loris

Billygoat

RunningMan

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