Beyond the Nest

 Beyond the Nest

The park rests near the center of town. When the sun rises, its golden rays reach across the entire length of the football field and create long shadows with the goalposts. 

The sunlight reaches the tips of the trees and sparkle off the maple leaves. 

Tucked in the branches of the tree rests a nest with a family of young birds ready to learn how to fly. Today is the day they will leave the nest that has become so comfortable. It is the only home they've known. 

Nervously excited, the birds perch on the edge of nest scanning the bright blue expanse of possibilities in front of them. 

    

But today's story isn't about the nest. So much more exists in this park than just a nest of birds. 

Below, a squirrel scurries around the tree trunks searching for today's treasures, but beyond that awaits the playground.

The playground is where the real action grows and the real memories bloom.

A college student swings. The pressures of money, classes, family, and roommates whiz by her cheeks as she closes her eyes and lets the rush of the breeze dry her tears. 

Life can be so difficult, and yet, the playground has a way of stripping away the difficulties.

She swings and swings and swings. As she swings ideas, adventures, and possibilities drown out the stress that had been cluttering her mind.

Soon her reverie is interrupted by the rustling of the chain on the swing next to her. 

She takes a deep breath and slightly lifts her eyes at the individual who dared to invade her solitary solitude.

He, too, is a college student. He, too, wants to swing to escape the day's burdens. He agrees that swinging makes the world better. He introduces her to a chant to sing as they strive to go higher and higher. 

"To the trees, to the clouds, to the sky! Let's grab adventures as they pass by."

She smiles as the spirit of the chant sinks deep into her heart. She laughs and shouts, "To the trees, to the clouds, to the sky! Let's not allow adventures to pass us by!"

They pedal their swings lightly in unison at first. They then compete, both aiming to reach the clouds.

Laughing, their eyes sparkle with excitement and possibility. 

As time goes on, at that same park, the couple wheels a stroller and they stop in front of the baby swings. Now they take turns; one keeping the little swing going and the other escaping again to the clouds in a swing of their own. 

"To the trees, to the clouds, to the sky! Let's grab adventures as they pass by."

Then they have two jovial, little girls in bonnets  laughing and kicking their bare feet to the sky as one parent is positioned by each of the little swings. The older girl longingly looking towards the bigger swings. The parents teach the girls their chant: 

"To the trees, to the clouds, to the sky! Let's grab adventures as they pass by."

Not long after, one parent is seen still standing by the little swings, while the other assist with the "big kid" swing. Squeals and laughter abound, and yet the younger girl longingly looks towards her sister on the bigger swings, but they all still sing their little chant:

"To the trees, to the clouds, to the sky! Let's grab adventures as they pass by."

Life progresses, and the little sister moves up to the bigger swings. The two girls kick the clouds, laugh, and compete for who could go higher as dad keeps both girls going.  Mom laughs and her eyes sparkle, but she also longingly looks back at those baby swings. 

After several seasons of fun at the park, the family again pushes a stroller up to those familiar baby swings.

Now as mom stands post at the baby swings with another lovely little girl in a bonnet, the older girls venture off to the jungle gym, the sandbox, and the stationary jeep.

More time passes, and again each parent stands in front of a baby swing. Their eyes sparkle as they sigh and look contentedly at the two older girls running through the jungle gym as the younger two children giggle in their swings. 

"To the trees, to the clouds, to the sky! Let's grab adventures as they pass by."

Before too long, the baby swings are abandoned and the children occupy all four swings at the park. Laughing, swinging, and competing to see who could go the highest. 

"To the trees, to the clouds, to the sky! Let's grab adventures as they pass by."

About this time, the family ventures off to the frantic life on the merry-go-round. First, the pace was slow but steady. Eventually though, the pace continued to pick up, faster and faster. 

The family smiles; they talk, laugh, and even picnic on the merry-go-round as the world of the park keeps spinning around them. 

Then one day, the merry-go-round slows enough for the oldest to climb down from the platform. The pace on the merry-go-round quickly picks up pace again, driven by the momentum of the lives of those still on board the merry-go-round. 

Before too long, another of those long-haired girls steps off the merry-go-round. With only four still on the ride, the world doesn't seem to be going by in the same blur, and the family goes about smiling, talking, laughing, and picnicking. 

Seasons go by, and the last of the girls step off the merry-go-round, and venture off. The three remaining keep the merry-go-round spinning. They savor the ride and enjoy watching the blur of a activity as it passes. 

Now, it is time. The last of the children is going to be stepping down from this merry-go-round they have been on so long.

The parents look into each other's eyes as they allow the merry-go-round to slow. It slows and the blurs become objects. The parents sit still for a moment. The pause and scan the entire landscape of the park. They contentedly sigh. The swings come back into view.

The parents smile simultaneously. Their eyes sparkle. And they they each take a deep breath, "Race you!" they each shout as they both hurry over to claim their own swing.

"To the trees, to the clouds, to the sky! Let's grab adventures as they pass by."

**You see, everyone thinks the story is about the nest being empty. The story isn't about the birds or about the empty nest. 

The story is about everything that happens on the playground. 

*Ecclesiastes 5:18, 19, and 20

"Then I realized that it is good and proper for a man to eat and drink, and to find satisfaction in his toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given him--for this is his lot.

Moreover, when God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work--this is a gift of God.

He seldom reflects on the days of his life, because God keeps him occupied with gladness of heart."

May we not focus on an empty nest nor a long abandoned merry-go-round. May we swing, reach the clouds, and be filled with gladness of heart.