The Last Paddle Glide—I Wish You Luck, I Love You!
The fear of change, the act of love, and the courage to let go
Let’s SinC(n)
Structure: An Intervention About Fear
It’s my babies, for darn sake. They’re leaving. What will happen? I can’t protect them anymore. I can’t guide them. Yes, I should trust, but how can I? Not knowing what’s going to happen? I would never stop worrying about them! What if I can never stop wondering if they’re safe?
A Quik & Quak Moment
The Structure - A Metathesiophia’s Mind
He sat quietly as the wind brushed against his face gently, interrupted by gusts that felt like a slap every 5 secs or so. Each gust pushed Quak deeper into thought as he floated aimlessly away from the group. It was the end of the paddle glide run. The reality—not yet accepted—that his ducklings were now grown enough to leave home, signaling the 12th week, left him in a cold stare. As a protective drake, Quak now had to accept that it was their turn to take on the world.
Weeks and weeks ago, when it was Quak’s turn to leave the flock, he felt the guidance he received wasn’t sufficient to provide him with the skills needed to take on the flock and the world. This became his motivation—if you fail to prepare, prepare to fail—replayed in his head, driving Quak to spend a lot of time grooming his ducklings, unlike many drakes of his time. He constantly bounced ideas off his fellow hen, Quik—his wife—on how they should evolve paddle strategies vs flying or paddling on multiple approaches. All he wanted was the best for his ducklings. At this point, they were well-prepped with all the physical elements needed to navigate the world, but Quak was still worried about their mindset.
Quik, a strong and proud hen, had a different background than Quak. She’d received good nurturing from her hen and passed that knowledge forward, providing the warmth, protection, and guidance she believed was enough. Her mindset was unbreakable—she had developed a style of quickly clearing her mind of negativity so nothing ruffled her feathers—just swat it. In her view, their ducklings were more independent than most their age and better equipped for both the flock and the unpredictable world.
…
As the whole family slowly came to a stop, completing the paddle glide run, Quik called Quak over. He had drifted a bit too far away, lost in his daydreams. The mind, flowing endlessly in its quest to solve unsolvable problems, spins in infinity—until it needs a sudden break. Quik’s voice snapped Quak out of his infinite loop, pulling him back to the present. He paddled over with urgency, a smile on his face glowing with happiness, grateful to be part of such a wonderful family. But did he truly break free from infinity? Once back with the group, Quak began his never-ending lecture about preparedness:
Don’t forget—trust no one.
Be careful with them.
Stay focused.
Trust the process
Remember your goals.
Those people are just distractions.
This is the way
“Stoooop!!!” Quik responded in the nicest way possible, making sure her words could be received gently. “Let them enjoy this moment. This is what we’ve been planning for—all 12 weeks.” Quak humbled himself, but only for a moment. His obsession wasn’t going to be contained. Quak, trying to hold his beak still, fought aggressively in his head:
“It’s my babies, for darn sake. They’re leaving. What will happen? I can’t protect them anymore. I can’t guide them. Yes, I should trust, but how can I? Not knowing what’s going to happen? I would never stop worrying about them! What if I can never stop wondering if they’re safe?”
As a parent, letting go and holding on is a never-ending tug-of-war between justification and fear. This powerful fear consumed Quak. He turned inward, as if traveling to another dimension, to force himself to cope with the emotional adaptation needed.
When his own efforts at adaptation failed, anger began to build—focused squarely at them. Our minds quickly turns us against them when they oppose us, creating unnecessary battles. But this battle was set. Quak was ready to lash out. He prepped for an outburst that would most certainly destroy Quik, gearing up to unleash an explosive set of insults. A deep breath was taken, and as the exhale began to form into words, a shadow of feathers swept across the sun, landing sharply on his beak. The sudden shift shook him more than the slaps of the wind ever could. A squinting glare brought his blurred vision into focus, revealing the intense, steady gaze of Ality.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Quak snapped, now turning his anger toward Ality.
“Your ducklings are not in distress—your mind is. And Quik is not your enemy,” Ality pressed, her tone firm but calm.
Ality was the wisest hen in the flock. Old and watchful, she kept an eye on everyone. She would appear when needed, then disappear just as quickly. She heard everything, saw everything, and always had an answer. In her prime, she had been one of the strongest, but now, she was the flock’s voice of reason.
Quak, still in full battle mode, continued to protest loudly. Consumed by emotion, his words blended together as he tried to respond to everything at once. A thought pieced his mind: "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing!" he believed was good and he was doing something.
By now, others from the flock had gathered, pressing him with questions. They couldn’t understand why there was such a commotion over something so natural. The ducklings had already embraced their new routines and were ready to move forward. But not Quak. His love connection was too strong, and the fear of letting go held him back.
The rumblings of everyone quacking over each other created a chaotic challenge to understand what was happening. Only snippets of phrases stood out above the noise:
“He has neophobia.”
“Just let them go—duck!”
“What’s wrong with him?”
“He’s delusional.”
“The metathesiophobia is consuming him.”
“Weening is necessary—don’t be afraid of change.”
“Is he a drake or just a hen?”
Quak screamed over the crowd, “…but I love them!!!” His voice cracked as he broke down, crying with humility. The crowd fell silent. Quik was the first to console him, followed by his ducklings, and then the flock.
Ality’s voice broke the silence, carrying a tone both motivating and accepting: “One more paddle glide run!!!” The words encouraged Quak as Quik leaned in, whispering softly in his ear, “It will get better with time”
The crowd roared, “Yeah!” shifting the mood entirely.
This perfect timing allowed Quak to refocus for one more glide run with his ducklings, his family & the flock, with Ality leading the way, cheering on everyone:
“We accept, then we move forward”
iwyl ily
It will get better with time.
💎💎💎
Inspired by: My Walks
Spotlight:
💎Fantabulous ❤️🙏
"The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance." - Alan Watts