3 flew out of the Cuckoo’s Nest

I was monitoring the activity of Mama robin and her 3 babies for about 2 weeks. The marvelously constructed nest sat firmly and safely in the crook of a tree limb in a Japanese maple outside my son’s window. Sometimes the baby robins would be stirring, their little beaks yawning for food; other times, especially when it rained heavily, Mama robin would be in the nest blanketing (brooding) her babies from the storm. I’d check on them daily, and yesterday I looked out the window only to discover they had all flown the coop. I was sad, but realized this is nature’s ordered way of saying that Mom had done her job, the chicks have found their wings and must get on with discovering the world.

It was somewhat ironic and mirrored my situation at home. Soon, my youngest child will be leaving for college, leaving me with an empty nest. Letting go of my first child was rough; second, only mildly less painful; but this one will be the toughest. As a Mom, I imparted as much knowledge as I could cram into my kids about life; gave them survival tools, and then hoped for the best. I knew that they would never be exactly like me, but I’d hoped that they would incorporate some of the good stuff. (Inevitably, a little of the bad stuff goes along for the ride.)

So when the time comes for my youngest to take flight, I will write about how I’ve adjusted to this new chapter in my life, as I re-invent my nest.