My Little Nest Of Love: A Grandmother’s Reflections On Raising and Caring

Today, I woke up earlier than usual this morning. It was nice to have a fresh start to the day. With my coffee cup in my hand, I went outside and sat in my chair, turning it to face the opposite compound. The lush green foliage gave my mind and body a cool and fresh feeling. The gentle pink flowers of the mimosa tree and the bright yellow blossoms of the copper pod tree filled my heart with peace and happiness.

Suddenly, I caught sight of two busy black birds on the highest branch of a tree. I couldn't see them clearly, even with my glasses on. I could only guess that they were the amma and appa crows, busy feeding their babies in the nest.

I love watching birds, especially during the nesting season. What thrills me most is the parental care found even in wild creatures. It gives me an immense feeling of oneness with the universe to know that parental behavior is not exclusive to human beings! I was admiring the proud, happy, and eager crow parents when a thought struck me: How long will the baby birds be attached to their parents? More such thoughts crossed my mind. How much longer will they depend on their parents for food and shelter? How long will the parents take care of their young ones?

I haven't seen any little bird or animal that has learned to be independent cling to its mother or father for support. The truth is, they soon branch out on their own, beyond their parent's love and the companionship of their siblings. We might view it as a sad thing, but it's quite natural in their wide, wild world.

It made me think of how every parent has their style of parenting, even in the animal world. The crows know what's best for their baby. To survive in their world, the babies must learn to be independent and fend for themselves quickly. The way the parents make them fly out of the nest as soon as they can is also an act of love.

How different things are for us humans! We, too, build our nests of love, and for the rest of our lives, we put in all our efforts to bind our family members together, hoping that the joy that prevails within the walls of our little nests lasts a lifetime. What we want is for the bond to grow stronger day by day, year upon year; and for the little ones in our nests to stay strong, always bound together by the threads of love of their parents, siblings and extended family.

In my own little nest of love, this is what I have experienced as the years have gone by. And every day, I thank God for the blessings I have received in the way of children and grandchildren, who have filled my nest with happiness.

Lost in thought, I look back at the tree and see the crows fly back to the nest with food for the squawking babies. As I wonder some more about their little world, I realize that in the end, like the mom and dad crows, we, too, only want what is best for our children. I'm amazed as I realize that no matter how different the experience of parenting is for all creatures on this planet, we are all united by this one fact:

WE ALL WANT WHAT IS BEST FOR OUR CHILDREN.