Heartwings says, “Empty nests come and go and life moves on.”

This spring I had been caught by a cold, keeping me indoors and canceling the normal often daily walks I usually took on the porch outside the sliding door of our second-floor apartment. The long porch, with its own set of stairs at one end, runs the length of the two apartments on the floor where we live above the shops that are on the building’s first floor.

As many back and forths as I could manage was my usual routine. Much to my surprise, once my cold subsided and I finally opened the sliding door to go out on the porch, a robin squawked and flew away. Something made me look up at the outdoor light and to my surprise I saw that a sturdy nest had been built on top of it. There was a pile of discarded nesting materials on the floor beneath the nest, and the I remembered seeing a robin carrying straw in its beak as it flew.

I seldom opened the door after that, or went onto the porch. Any time I did, there was a flurry of wings and an exit from the nest. The mother robin was diligent and mindful. The peeps and cheeping from the nest soon announced the arrival of the baby birds. I had hoped to see the fledglings learn to fly but they did it when I was otherwise engaged. One day I looked up and the nest was empty. I never had seen them leave.

I’ve heard that robins may return to the nest and lay more eggs, but so far, that has not happened. Perhaps the mother robin was discouraged by her initial experience.  I miss peeking through the glass of my door and seeing her patiently sitting on her nest. Later I could see the little beaks above the rim of the nest. As I reflected on the experience, I realized my feelings were a perfect example of the empty nest syndrome. When I thought about it, I had to laugh to myself. What a perfect pun.

Recently Stephen handed me a small blue broken eggshell he’d found on the porch. How special, a gift from a hatchling. With a sigh I set it on my desk. Experiences run their course; nothing stays the same. Children grow up. You wouldn’t want them not to. Kittens become cats. Most probably young kittens, like young children, must be endearing so we will take care of them until they can care for themselves. And then we are faced with the empty nest syndrome.

Change is the rule of the cosmos. We go from full to empty and back to full again. 

May your empty nests fill with joy.

Blessings and best regards, Tasha Halpert

PS If you have any stories to share I’d be happy to hear them. Your comments, dear reader, are always helpful. Please feel free to write, it is such fun for me. My email is tashahal@gmail.com. My blog is http://tashasperspective.com.

A poet and writer, I publish a free weekly blog, Heartwings Love Notes for a Joyous Life. My Books: Up to my Neck in Lemons, and Heartwings, Love Notes for a Joyous Life are available on Amazon. My latest publication available there is my first chapbook, Poems and Prayers, and I have two more in preparation. You can sign up for my blog at http://tashasperspective. Com.