The Ones Who Follow

The Ones Who Follow

They passed in front of me like they had somewhere to be. Two ducks - one leading, one following.

Pavement to the left. Grass to the right. And them, walking the line between both, as if unsure of where they belong.

The one in the front was smooth, shining - the kind people stop to admire.

The one behind? Awkward feathers, brownish streaked. Not beautiful. Not graceful. But devoted. Following not because she had to... but because she didn't know another way to walk.

I watched them and felt something shifting inside me. Maybe because I know what it's like to walk behind. To compare my softness to someone else's shine. To feel like the world sees beauty in others, but quiets when I arrive.

To wonder:

"If I keep walking like this, will I ever be enough to walk ahead?"

But maybe she wasn't behind at all. Maybe she was just choosing her own rhythm. Maybe her love was not weakness but loyalty.

And maybe...

She was never meant to walk alone, but also never meant to disappear in someone else's shadow.

We all have a duck inside us, don't we?

The one who's not quiet elegant enough.

Not celebrated. Not chased.

Just... walking.

Just...hoping.

Just.. being.

And sometimes, being seen-even for a moment-is the beginning of finding our path.

Do you ever feel like the one behind? The one watching, the one hoping? What if following isn't about being less, but about learning the weight of your steps?

Maybe you were never lost. Just...becoming.

#quietwild #belonging #softpower