Ducks and people. You begin comparing male and female ducks to human counterparts, and you will find a drastic difference. And I’m not referring to our non-webbed feet and wings.

One cold morning, we bundled ourselves up in warm jackets and began the one-mile walking trail that encircled a little local lake. Outdoors walking versus an exercise machine in a stuffy hotel exercise room? No contest.

As we walked, we watched a male and female duck gliding contentedly around their watery home. And I began noticing some real differences between us and them.

The male duck was absolutely gorgeous. His head was a deep beautiful green, his breast glinted bright red in the sunlight, and his back was covered in blue green feathers. Oh yeah, one good-lookin’ male. God sure guaranteed he would attract the attention of a female.

Ah. Now, the female. The one swimming beside this gleaming, glossy, attention-garnering male. Well, she was the exact opposite. No spark of deep jewel tones anywhere. Drab, mousy-colored shades of brown, buff and black feathers covered her head and body. Not exactly the stuff of dreams for the average human female, who usually likes to be as attractive as possible. And yet, that was exactly how God made this female duck, and He called her perfect.

So, my tongue-in-cheek question is this; Why in the world do many human females decide, unlike the female duck, to do everything possible to be gorgeous? Or maybe we don’t decide this at all, maybe it was put in our DNA by our Creator.

Our Creator: “I’m gonna create human ladies so from the day they hit puberty, a lot of them are gonna glance in the mirror and gasp, “Oh my gosh, I am so plain! My hair color is so ugly! And this face! I have got to get lipstick, and eyeshadow, and blush, and mascara, and eyeliner, or I can never step foot out of this house again!”

Oh, I know, some are not born with that particular gene that makes women want to ‘gussie up.’ Those ladies are totally at peace with the au natural image looking back at them in the mirror every day. Neither way is wrong or right. It is simply a matter of being true to yourself, to what you enjoy. But in whichever category you land, Gussie or non-Gussie, I encourage you – love being you. There will never be another you. Your Creator made you and said, “For all eternity, I am totally happy and content with having only one of that particular lady.”

So, whether you are one who loves constantly changing styles in clothes and makeup, or are just the opposite - be confident in being YOU.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the gussied-up moms and the au natural moms among us.