Article September 9, 2013 Issue

Thoughts on the empty nest

Janet Hegarty

One spring some robins built their nest on the porch just outside our kitchen window. Our family watched as the parents protected the eggs and tenderly cared for the baby birds. As the little birds grew, the nest became very overcrowded. Then one day we watched as each of the baby birds took their flight out of the nest. From then on, the nest was completely empty. When the young birds moved out, the parent birds moved on with their lives, too. None of the birds returned to the same nest. Perhaps we can learn something from their example.

When my children were toddlers, we would visit with other preschool moms and their kids at a weekly playgroup. Occasionally, the cheery, child-focused conversations of the moms would take a more serious turn when one mom or another, speaking in a mournful tone of voice, would say: “The children are growing up so fast! Before we know it, they’ll be off on their own.” In quiet assent, the other moms would sympathetically frown and knowingly nod their heads, agreeing with the observation. 

At first, I went right along with the crowd. It did seem sad to think that someday in the future the perpetual flurry of activity, the sweet sound of the children’s voices, and the crayons strewn all over the house, would be gone. But after I heard this same conversation repeated a few times, I started to think about it more deeply. 