The Empty Nest, by Gina Meyers

 The Empty Nest

By Gina Meyers

This morning, on my walk around the lake, I saw a dove on the fence. It was perched for an instant and then did a little dance and fluttered away. As I started to pick up the pace after reflecting for a moment, enjoying the doves dance, I saw a fluffy ball on the ground by a tree, I knelt down to pick up the brown, lighter than air ball. There was a covering made out of twigs, fluffy material and I picked it up. I immediately recognized that this was an empty bird's nest and as  I peered inside, seeing the white feathers inside this bird’s nest left behind, no longer needed. There was no shell, but there was a distinct feeling that what was once in this bird's nest no longer needed its nest. 

In my mind, it was no longer a tragedy, that some dog had eaten a baby bird, or some squirrel tossed the nest out of the tree, its’ safe harbor.

It was a new thought that I had never had before, maybe from a grateful, yet slightly bruised heart. 

The metaphor “empty nest” makes its way into my life as a familiar tome.

And memories from the past, flooding my present reality with the cruel reality that some baby birds never make it, and that their wings never get to see the light of day, a morning dewy morning, slightly foggy like the one I was experiencing this morning.

It also made me better not bitter for not fully seeing the baby birds struggles and how for some the journey towards flight isn’t always smooth sailing.

We focus way too much on “the empty nest” just like as we are entering the forty days of lent and we focus on “the empty tomb.” 

But the message of the empty tomb is one of hope in the end.

In Matthew 28: 1-10 The guards were afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. An angel said to the woman, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified, he is not here; he has risen, just as he said he would. Come and see the place where he lay.”

As silly as it sounds, the empty bird's nest brought me great comfort. I was able to ascertain any story I surmised about the future of the baby bird. But I was not concerned in the least for the mama bird or the daddy bird and their nurturing, what they were up to or where they had flown to.

The empty tomb conceptualizes the profound meaning of being victorious over death and the living resurrection of Jesus, his promise to us for eternal life. 

So maybe the empty nest can symbolize new hope and validate that some of those baby birds will grow up to build their own nests someday, the triumph of hope, power to believe in new beginnings and a redemptive spirit for all who believe.