“One, two, three.” My 4-year-old grandson carefully counted and pointed to each of us sitting side by side on the sofa.

Of course, he counted himself as one. His father, my son, sat in the middle and was assigned the number two spot. I, on the far end, was given the number three.

He solemnly counted another time as he pointed to us. “One, two, three.”

I said, “Well aren’t you smart!” Then I gave him a mischievous grin and said, “But remember. I am always Number One.” 

That caught him by surprise. My grandson was speechless at this turn of events. His jaw dropped and his eyes grew big as his little brain tried to figure out what just happened.  “No!” he said as he patted his chest. “I’m Number One.”

Then my son grinned and said, “No wait. I’m Number One. You know. It’s all in your perspective!”

Then my grandson read the mischief in our faces, and he played along with us. With a grandiose gesture like a politician speaking on the nightly news he said, “No. Don’t forget. I’m Number One,” and together we shared a good laugh.

I smiled and remembered our time together as I drove the interstate highway toward home. 

Suddenly a flock of geese so big that it seemed to fill the sky blasted into my vision. It was late afternoon, and the winter sun threw long shadows over the road. The geese appeared from out of nowhere and they startled me much like my playfulness had my grandson the day before.  Once my brain figured out what happened, I watched the birds make their focused way across the sky.

I grew up in the city and never thought much about geese. Until that time, I only saw them as big noisy birds that pooped a lot in parking lots and honked at each other as they flew across the sky. Then years ago, I read an article that showed me another side.

• Why do they fly in a ‘V’ formation? Flying that way saves energy and helps them fly much farther as each goose uses the updraft of the wings immediately ahead of them. Much as a plane needs wind to lift it up to take-off, the air created by the bird ahead of it makes the flight much less strenuous. 
• Geese stay close to each other to follow this path of least resistance and their honking is a way to communicate in flight.
• If a goose gets sick, one or two other birds land and stay with it until it either heals or dies. 
• Geese mate for life and if the partner dies, the remaining one finds another so that they don’t have to live alone.

The lead bird has the hardest job. It is the one that hits the solid wall of air and sets up the chain of updrafts for those behind it. The following birds have the benefit of the updraft from the bird immediately before it.  The leader begins the process. 

As I watched, I noticed the front bird, the one blazing the trail through the undisturbed sky, dropped back in line with the birds that it was just leading. The leader had done its part. It was time to rest and cruise in the updraft along with the others.

Then the miracle happened. Without missing a beat, as the lead bird dropped back, another goose seamlessly moved ahead to take its place. There was a new leader and when that bird tires it too will drop back, and another will take its place. This natural rhythm propels the flock forward and gets it where it needs to go.

The front goose holds an essential role in the flock but as difficult as it may be, there are others who are prepared to take their turn and share the burden. They are ready to step in and take their turn as Number One. They know their task and they are ready.

Geese have something to teach us. Much like them, each of us can stand (or fly) individually. However, when we combine our talents together they become much stronger than those that stand alone. Together, we bring a much broader set of gifts to offer the world. Together, we fly farther.   

The sofa held three generations. My grandson, my son and I sat side by side. Each of us could claim to be Number One. Each of us brings a talent. I bring a life full of experience. My son is practical and always planning. And my four-year-old grandson? He brings imagination, a fresh perspective, and an open heart. 

We have individual gifts but when we bring them together something special can happen as they synergize and become something greater. The sum of our efforts is much greater than when we work alone. Working together, like the geese flying in the ‘V’ formation, we each can help our flock move forward.

Yes, we can go it alone, but the ride is a lot easier when we travel together.