Empty Nest

The robin chicks have gone! Two days ago, Robert noticed one of the chicks perched on the edge of the nest. Only two more chicks were in the nest, so one had already left! The boys watched this baby bird with much excitement, cheering it on, keeping their distance so the mom and dad robins (both nearby) could help as needed. I'll spare you the play-by-play, but it was awesome. I did see parallels for myself as a parent knowing my own four chicks will be leaving the nest at some point.

This afternoon, I noticed that the parents hadn't flown up to the nest for some time. We went out to check on the chicks and saw the last chick perched on the edge of the nest. The boys were SO encouraging and excited and careful. The watched one of the parent birds fly a short distance with the chick as it made its way into our neighbor's yard. The neighbor with the rat terrier. The boys got really, really concerned and tried to get the bird to go somewhere else. The neighbor's dog was inside the house, barking at them like crazy because they had approached the fence closer than usual. Our neighbor came out of the house to see why the boys were making such a fuss. They told him about the chick and begged him to keep the dog inside until the chick was somewhere safe. He agreed, much to the boys' relief.

And that was that. No more chicks. Robert took down the nest and we admired how well-crafted it was. What are those robin parents today? Relief? Worry? Helplessness? Pride?

At some point, our kids won't live in our house anymore, either. The things I did to support their growth and development won't be necessary anymore. Needs will be different. I can't even comprehend what that will feel like...I'm steeped in a moment where their lives and my life are inextricably intermingled.