Perhaps every parent tries to give their child something they craved as a child. For me, it’s stability. Emotional safely. A place that is a refuge from the plagues and tumult of the world, rather than another component to the madness.
I noticed someone’s garden bird house this spring. It hung from a cord and was in constant motion. It spun clockwise, and then counter-clockwise. And it got me to thinking…do the young birds think the world spins? When they leave the nest, does normal stability feel abnormal? I realized I grew up in a spinning bird house. Love will always feel unstable, even when it stands firm.
I want something for my children: I want to anchor our house to the tree.
Qualities of a good nest:
1. Cozy
2. Safe
3. Warm
4. Comforting
5. Place of learning/preparatory
6. Seasonal/temporary
7. Place of nurture
7. Place where you get good eats
8. Sufficient shelter
What else?
What have you (or would you want to) give to your children that wasn’t in the “nest” you grew up in?
