We’ve had the privilege to observe a family of Eastern Phoebe from close range over the past month. We were impressed with the paternal as well as the maternal role in providing for their young, first in preparing their home, then the gestation period. Before long, they hatched a set of triplets. My, they grow quickly, as the parents look on, providing their nourishment, watching out for their safety.
But there comes a day, as in the human world, when it’s time to leave the nest. As they began to practically overflow from their dwelling with exponential growth, each day we’d wonder when they’d get up the courage to take the plunge and begin making their own way in the world.
Funny how parallels can be made with the human world. We wondered how they’d have the strength to fly when there was no room in their home to exercise. The same can happen to overly sheltered children. We may not have to descend from great heights, but the risks are many with all the life-changing decisions to be made. We worry if we’ve prepared them enough for the real world, as I’m sure our parents did of us.
Well, it got to the point where the babies were almost the size of their parents, and then another day would pass, and there they’d sit. We’d look on the ground below them for signs of a doomed flight as a sense of relief washed over us. Despite our many projects taking place in their immediate surroundings, still they waited. We wondered if the parents would stop bringing them food in an attempt to “cut the cord,” so to speak. That may be a form of tough love in the bird world. This brings another parallel to be drawn such as when mom’s cooking is too good, or at least too readily available and at the right price, for their young adult to bring himself to leave the nest and the security it provides.
But the day finally arrived. We arose, and there they were, still tightly packed into their nest. We busied ourselves with our outdoor project, and the next time we looked up, they were gone. It kind of tears at your heart a little as you recall how slowly and then how quickly this all unfolds in the human world.
Now all three of our children are married and we’re grandparents to 4 amazing little ones. We know that someday our children will experience this same tug-o-war when their children are of age. If we’re blessed to see this, we’ll smile and remember and say a prayer for another generation to happily make their way in this world, Godspeed, of course.
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