the nest

I have been thinking about nests recently.

source http://tinyurl.com/cyvh8b9

Building nests.  And empty nests.

source: http://www.iranian.com/main/blog/latina/empty-nest

My own fledglings have left the nest, so I guess I am, reluctantly, an empty nester.  The kids' Facebook profiles state that they  live elsewhere.  It's a difficult mental shift to move from in-house parenting to parenting by text.  Even though, I might not feel ready to have almost-adult children, it's my job to adjust to supporting them to fly without me by their side.  

As I was helping my kids get ready to move into their student accommodation (Daughter 2 carloads plus a mountain left from last year - Son 2 suitcases and a box!) I was also preparing the school nest for my new set of hatchlings.  It was an interesting juxtaposition.

What should a nest be?

It should meet safety and comfort needs.

It should facilitate growth and development.

It is temporary and should be outgrown.

We build our nests with love and care, knowing that the fledglings  will need to fly off and leave us for bigger and wider spaces.

And it's a good (if hard) thing,