It was decades ago, when our hospital had two large outdoor planters by the lobby. Annually, geese came to lay their eggs in them. Visitors, patients, and employees invariably gawked through the tall glass walls along the lobby and walkway, curious as to the development of the eggs.

Over time, goslings emerged from underneath the mother geese and later fledged from the two-foot tall planters with the mother geese calling and waiting patiently nearby. The march to the puddles in the distant grassy fields was always a sight to behold, everyone behind the glass walls with widened eyes, muttering oohs and aahs!

Other than some lingering wing and down feathers, the planters remained empty until springtime when, once again, colorful leaves and flowers were in full display.

One day; however, while walking to the lobby, I noticed two eggs in one of the planters. Realizing that it was common for the mother geese to leave their nests once the goslings fledged, I decided to take both home.

I created an incubator using a large uncovered box and a portable incandescent lamp. With a hand towel fashioned as a nest, I gently layed the eggs in the middle. I placed the box on the floor, close to the right side of my bed, allowing me to easily check it before going to sleep and when waking up in the morning.

I went to work the following day, eagerly sharing what I did with anyone I bumped into at the hospital.

My day shift being over, I hurried home to check for any progress. I got excited when I noticed a slight crack on both egg shells, pipping sounds emanating from within. Eager for the final hatching to occur, I decided to assist by gently picking at the shells, a portion at a time.

To first see their beaks and eventually their heads and entire bodies was such a stunning sight! I was shivering and hyperventilating! I helped hatch 2 eggs, ones that would have perished had they been left alone in the planter!

I held them carefully, blowing gently to help dry them up. I then layed them on the towel, repositioning the portable lamp to provide more adequate heat.

I would have liked to watch their continued transformation but my eyelids felt heavy.

The alarm clock waking me up, I quickly turned to my right to check for any update. My jaw dropped and my breathing stopped when I noticed that the center of the towel nest was empty! I was about to jump out of my bed when I instantly noticed at the far end of the box, two fully fluffed goslings! They stood frozen as they cocked their heads to look at me, seeming to acknowledge the significance of my existence!

“Aww…!” I let out as I reached to cup them with both hands.

They didn’t wriggle out; they allowed me to freely snuggle them close to my chest, my face beaming with delight.

Knowing that I was going to be late for work, I placed them back in the box, gently patting them.

Needless to say, they were the topic of the day at work. A Marketing staff member took a picture of the goslings with me to publish in the hospital’s newsletter. I was asked what to now do with them and having no definite answer, I just shrugged my shoulders and said, “We’ll see!”

I drove home like a demon. The goslings were sitting calmly inside the box when I entered my bedroom. Once they noticed me, they stood up and ran towards my hands as I reached to pick them up. My pulse raced, my mouth grinned, and my face lit up. I was in heaven!

Unfortunately, my elation was short-lived, having realized that I could not take care of them. They needed immediate attention, the attached yolk sacs diminishing by the hour. Locating the mother goose would be futile, a certain wild-goose chase at that point.

I brought them to work, hoping that someone at the hospital might provide me with some guidance.

Luckily, a friend in the Engineering Department learned about my predicament. He knew a staff member at the nearest Wildlife Center.

After a prolonged painful hemming and hawing, I decided to give them away. I picked the goslings up from the box. I gently patted their heads and backs. I kissed their heads, replaced them and handed the box to him.

My chest was heavy and my shoulders slumped as I put away the portable incandescent lamp, yearning for the goslings which, in a fleeting moment, served as my feathered, chirping companions. I sensed that they bonded with me as I with them and may now also be yearning for continued company. Somehow, the house felt empty.

Nowadays, whenever I see a Canadian goose or a flock of them flying, I wonder as a wistful smile appears on my face.