The nest is empty, the children gone. Shall we keep their rooms intact awaiting their return? Sooner than expected, they have lives of their own. Forgive us if we are slow to fill the void with a renewed sense of purpose. Forgive us if we idolize the past. Forgive us if we still treat our grown children like little kids. Give us joy in their successes and sympathy for their struggles without trying to fix them. Let us leave their problems to them and embrace our own, remembering that we were still becoming ourselves when we suddenly became parents.
Photo of an empty robin’s nest.
Photo and text copyright 2018 by Danny N. Schweers.
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Comments
Marti wrote:
Thanks, Danny. This is so poignant!
Roberta wrote:
Perfect words & picture.
Don wrote:
Beautiful work again, Danny. Thx much.
Elaine wrote:
Love this Danny. Thanks...
Alice wrote:
Danny, keep up the great work. This sentence is one of my favorite parts of this selection: — "Give us joy in their successes and sympathy for their struggles without trying to fix them."
Julie wrote:
This is a beautiful photo, Danny, and it truly represents the concept of an empty nest awaiting a (possible) return of its fledglings. Home, in all its many permutations.
Rosemary wrote:
My brother was so touched by your prayer that he forwarded it on to me. As a father of five (and grandfather of 15), he likes to keep his chickens close and luckily they live nearby. My husband and I don’t have the “tristesse” of seeing empty childhood bedrooms because we have moved too much, but we feel it nonetheless. How we love it when we are together.
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