Ready to Soar

I had a little audience while I was watering my flowers the other evening. 

A pair of young bluebird eyes (or two) kept peeking out from the hole in the nesting box.  They would make little peeping noises, raise their heads to look out at me, then, dart down out of view, giving a bit louder cheep when they discovered I was still standing nearby.  It became a hilarious game after a few minutes! 

I realized I couldn't get too close to the nest, however.  Once I stepped just a couple of feet directly in front of them, they looked out at me and were probably geniunely frightened.  They stopped chirping and got very quiet.  In a way, I was glad they recognized the threat of a potential predator. 

These cute little bluebird youngsters are about to leave the nest, to strike out on their own in the great big world.  They clearly were viewing that world from their nest, as they were preparing to fledge, to lift their wings and fly out for the very first time.  It must look large, scary, and, most of all, unknown to them.

Of all things that came to mind at this time, I was reminded of the scene I came upon while shopping the day before I had my little game with the bluebirds.  I had stopped to pick up a few small houseware goods in Target, and I saw multiple mothers walking the aisles with their older teenagers, buying supplies for college.  Many of those young people are preparing to step out in the great big world themselves, and deal with experiences they've only been told how to manage to this point.  The term "leaving the nest" is quite a cliche, but I clearly saw the parallel this week, in a way I never previously had.  

It seems, however, that we usually have more than one "leaving the nest" moment in our lives.  We stand at the precipice of unfamiliar territory, peering over the edge, preparing to step out and soar over it.  We're just waiting for that one, motivating moment, in which we will lift our wings to take flight.