The Nest
There was once a family of sparrows who lived together happily from one day to the next. Their nest which had been so lovingly and painstakingly built, resonated with the happy chirping of baby birds everyday. Everyday, the mother would fly off and return with food for her little ones. As time flew by, almost too soon, the little ones grew up and began their training. Now, everyday the mother would coach her babies and teach them the art of flight and before she realised, came the day when the little ones took their final flight from the nest. Fully grown and equipped with all the skills they needed, they were now ready to face the world on their own- they were now ready to build their own nests and see their own little ones fly.
As a kid this story amazed me every time I heard it. My mother would tell me this tale nearly every night and for some reason, by the end of it she would always be teary eyed. The story amazed me because I never understood why the ‘little ones’ had to leave , and why the mother couldn’t stop them… it filled me with a sense of dread and wonder at the same time. I dreaded the flying away into the unknown, without the love and care of a mother, without the warmth of ‘home’ but I was filled with wonder at the thought of all the new things that awaited the ‘little ones’ once they took flight. The thought of all the beautiful places they would fly to, all the adventures they would have and all the new ties they would form amazed me.
Today as I stand at yet another junction, at yet another threshold in life, i’m reminded of this story once again. Faced with the ‘make or break’ decision of what to do with life, I now truly understand the ‘little ones’, their dreams, their aspirations and their need to spread their wings; seeing my mother go through the decision making process with me, I finally understand the mother bird, her hopes, apprehensions, fears and prayers…
What am I supposed to do next? Where do I go from here? Where should I place my next step? Which direction is the right direction? These questions riddle me everyday as I navigate my way in this world and try to leave my mark on it. In this ever evolving, ever growing world, I am blessed with the choice to make my life what I want it to be. Unlike many teenagers before us, our generation is not limited by the few set careers choices, we are no longer confined within society’s notions of the ‘right life’… we can chose to live the way we want, independently, happily and with a sense of achievement and contentment. But all these wonderful things come at a price, as is the law of nature… in order to build a happy and satisfied ‘tomorrow’ we have to sacrifice ‘today’. Yes, the options we have at our disposal are greater but that just makes our job as students or young professionals stepping into this ‘big, bad world’ so much more difficult at the same time. Too many choices, too many decisions and too little time- that is the dilemma.
These uncertainties burden my mind, they make me restless and oh so sensitive! But, through it all, there is one force that keeps me strong- the warmth of my parents’ love, the comfort of my ‘nest’. But as my graduation day comes near, so does my time to fly… my time to spread my wings and leave my nest, just like the ‘little ones’. Soon my time will be filled with college brochures, application deadlines, visa and passport formalities, the student loans, the hostel hunting until one fine day I will be packed and ready to fly!
I will no longer come home to my mom and her warm embrace, I will no longer relish piping hot ‘home food’, I will no longer fight my dad for the T.V remote to watch my favourite show and my mom will no longer switch iff the T.V in the middle of that very show and send me to my room to study! I will now come home to an empty room, I will now wait for the holidays to satiate my craving for home food, and no one will send me to my room to study. Hot vegetable maggi will be replaced by cold pizza and other leftovers on marathon study nights, and sleepless nights will no longer end in hot chocolate and deep, meaningful conversations with mom. Yes, my parents will always be one phone call away, they will always guide me and support me no matter which corner of the world I am in, but nothing will ever be the same again…
I think of all these changes, and the future which seemed so bright, scares me. As I sit here, filled with dread, something strikes me! I think of all the places i’ll explore, all the people i’ll meet, of all the adventures i’ll have, all the obstacles i’ll face and all the victories I will see. I imagine my parents’ faces flush with pride when I am awarded my postgraduate degree… I see the joy on their faces as I fling the hat in the air and I feel the contentment they would feel when I land my first bug break and the dread is soon edged out by wonder!
I now fully understand the ‘little ones’ and their dreams… I understand why they fly away and why the mother doesn’t stop them… As my dreams, goals and aspirations merge into and become one with my parents’ hopes and fears, their pride and joy- I finally understand.
