Getting your ducks in a row is, apparently, one of our highest callings as an adult. It’s a nicer way to say having your @#%^ together. In truth, my ducks have never been in a row, nor have I ever had it together for more than 10-12 minutes at a time. 

Adulting is hard, especially when inside, you feel like you are about 32 and you have the focus of a 12-year-old on summer break. 

But this holiday season, my sister Lisa got me a rubber duck Advent calendar, and for the first time, my ducks are either in a row or trapped in a box, so I kind of have it together! If you aren’t familiar with the back story, Jeep Wrangler owners give ducks to one another as a way to spread joy and cheer. It’s a goofy practice, but it brings people so much happiness. In fact, last weekend, while out of town, my brother-in-law handed a duck to a woman still in her Jeep, and she was elated. I was watching from afar, but I thought she might cry. She was so happy. She told him she never had someone give her a duck before. See, friends, it really is the little things.

Each day I wake up, I am a little more inclined to get out of bed when the alarm goes off because I am curious to find out what duck I will get today. It’s a whole mix of different themes, and I am sure the random stranger who gets “ducked” will be pleased. 

It’s somewhat surprising when you think that sharing tiny rubber ducks as a general practice is something grown adults will participate in… or is it? Don’t we all want the same thing? Peace, joy, love, goodwill. 

We get so distracted by the seemingly big things sometimes, but a simple plastic duck also has the power to elicit joy. As we roll into the depths of the holiday season, it may serve us to remember that. Keep it simple. Don’t overthink it. Lead with fun.