August 2023: The Seasons of Life

I am an avid bird watcher.  My yard is full of all kinds of birds, and I am always scouring the trees and nooks to check in on all my momma birds and their babies.  This spring I was working in my yard to get ready for green spring up and I had the pleasure of watching a momma bird in my yard also working diligently to prepare for the upcoming spring.  She was building her nest in which to lay her eggs. I then watched how the momma protected and incubated the eggs in her handmade nursery.  The male bird sat in surrounding trees, watching over the momma from predators as she incubated the eggs.  AND then it happened! My yard was suddenly full of chirping baby birds and so much birth excitement.  What happened weeks later is the part that I struggle with….the momma bird launching her babies.  The sweet chirps are gone, the nest has been abandoned and the whole process happened so fast.

On a personal note, this same season of life recently arrived for me.  Thankfully I was allowed longer than a few weeks – I got a full 18 years before I launched my first baby to college. And, unlike the momma bird, I only launch one at a time.  This season of life is very bittersweet for our family.  My husband and I built a home, nursed her, raised her and watched her fly from our nest. Now all that’s left in our home is an empty bed. Things are much quieter around the house and I miss her bustling activities and her friends.

The momma bird and I have moved into a new season of our lives.  The summer is now burning hot in my yard, the nests are empty and we prepare for life without our babies.  We’ll both adjust to the changes in our daily lives. I’ll still be able to talk to and mother my baby (more than she wants I’m sure), but it’s just not the same without her under our roof. I tell myself its part of growing up and the seasons of life. At the same time, I hope this same bird returns next year because I get to do it all over again. It’ll be that season of life with my second daughter and we can do it all over again together.