One.
God has given me another precious gift. I’ve been enjoying
new memories with my kids as adults. Now my prayer is that god will help me
remember to bite my tongue on advice unless I’m asked. And maybe even then. I’ll
share some of those new memories in the upcoming weeks.
Next.
In June of this year, my friend Nina in Arizona sent me this
lovely message. With her permission, I am sharing it:
“Hi Kathy, It's quiet here. We are waiting for the monsoons
to come and the days are hot and dry.
“Ravens built a nest on an electrical power line scaffold
and we watched them from afar as they tended to the chicks. And then one day,
they were out of the nest and two of the youngsters spent their first day as
grownups hopping around on our back porch.
“Big as chickens they were. The poor things looked confused,
hot and thirsty with their bills wide open and their wings trailing on the
ground. I tossed some cooked chicken bits outside and they ate a few but mostly
they hopped awkwardly on and around chairs, a table and two loungers.
“Evening came and we could hear the parents calling with
their raspy croaks to come home for the evening. The two youngsters tried to
fly- one took off and sailed across the wash and up again into the scaffolding
to join mom and dad. The other one appeared completely lost and he banged
against the windows, only getting aloft for a few seconds.
“He tried again and again and finally, he managed to glide
off and away but never managed to get up to the top of the scaffolding in the
evening gloom.
“I thought about how much raven children are like human
children, wanting to leave, unsure of their independence and how good parents
try and keep a watchful eye. The day the two ravens were in our tiny yard, the
parents could see and hear them. Perhaps they considered our place to be a safe
spot, much like parents dropping off young teens at the mall for the first
time.”
And the third smile?
I’ve received the book cover for my children’s story,
“Millie’s Christmas,” which will be released by Mantle Rock Publishing on
October 22.
I will share more about that soon also.
Hi Kathy,
ReplyDeleteHow intriguing! I loved this message. I had to read it a couple of times to understand what you meant by the third smile. I missed the heading of the first two the first time around. Watching my kitten go through changes made the message of growing up even more memorable. My kitten's paws are so large she sometimes stares at them in wonder and she is kind of clumsy. She thinks she has her footing and then falls off the chair. I could empathize with the ravens with their too-big feathers and clumsy feet. It is SO like our teens -- and so like US growing in our relationship with God. Unsure. Awkward. Out of our comfort zone. Thanks for sharing it!
Amy
Thank you.:)
DeleteBeautiful story and message. Congratulations on the Children's book. How exciting to receive the cover. Look forward to hearing more.
ReplyDeleteThank you. So exciting!:)
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