Empty Nest

Tomorrow our nest will be empty. We will be helping to move our son to live in another city with a couple of buddies - thankfully very responsible, good buddies! He has been eager to get out on his own, and he has expressed that he needs to 'push' himself to get out and be required to become less dependent on parents. I can't agree more with him that it is healthy to want to move on and chart his own course.

Isn't parenthood crazy? You spend every waking moment attached to your children..... caring, teaching, guiding, encouraging.......and then before you know it, you're supposed to just let them walk out of your world. I had become so close with my daughter that I wondered how I would manage when she left for college four years ago. When she left home (city of 86,000), she was living by herself in Toronto (city of 2.48 million) and phoned every night the first week and never stopped talking. Then, the calls stopped coming so frequently and I had to calm myself that she was just fine, assuring myself that she'd made it home safely that night and that she has a life!! I quickly learned to cope quite well, and in fact I'd probably have a hard time coping if she ever moved back here....mainly because she is so happy in her life and I've seen the positive results of her having to (sometimes) struggle through decision making and planning in every area of life and she has blossomed as a lovely young woman. We're still right here for her, cheering her on, and providing advice and encouragement. I could never wish her back here though. It would stifle her growth and maturity as an individual.

So now, it is our son's turn and again we will be right here for him when he needs us, supporting him and loving him, and watching from the grandstands, cheering him on.

Of course, I must give a brief 'bird' analogy here. The coolest thing I've heard about the 'empty nest' was from my Pastor when he talked about eagles. He said he had the opportunity to watch an adult eagle 'push' its baby from the nest. That may sound cruel, particularly when you consider that eagles' nests are in very high trees or even on cliffs. Indeed there are immature, cruel parents out there who shove their kids out the door, not out of love, but because they don't want them around anymore for whatever reason, and the kids crash, wounded and abandoned. The Pastor said he saw the young eaglet drop from the nest, desperately flapping its wings as it quickly descended through the air. But the adult eagle immediately and smoothly flew in underneath the young one, with its strong wings extended and provided support as the eaglet learned to glide. The adults were always there for the fledgling with support, guidance and strength. What a beautiful picture!

Below is a video someone patiently filmed of a young eaglet preparing itself to finally leave the only place it had known, and then its eventual first flight. He learns some pretty cool dance steps until he's ready to jump. There's lots of flapping of wings until he will learn to ride the air currents and effortlessly soar in freedom with outstretched wings for hours on end like his parents. Parachute jumpers....eat your heart out! How could I selfishly keep my babies indefinitely confined to the nest when freedom, growth, experience and wisdom await them beyond? It would be like keeping their wings clipped. Fly away son...and we'll be right there to support you!

.....um.... but leave the keys to the car. It's staying home with us.