Life is Cool

the view we normally see

About a month ago my parents noticed a robin building a nest on the inner section of their porch—the only time this has happened in their 25 years living there. I visit the house fairly often, I work right near by, and the presence of this robin and its family has transformed the mood in the house.

Until the robins came, my parents house was a pretty typical situation. They are emptynesters, with a 20-year-old son living with them for the summer; they are plagued by difficult, stressful jobs, aging parents, and a 24-year-old daughter who steals all their canned goods and towels.

The robins have brought a sense of calm and reflection to the house. This may seem totally silly, but watching the progression of their upbringing has, to my parents, mirrored their own lives in this house. The two parent robins took turns sitting on the eggs, protecting them—three eggs, we think—and warding off the city's predators. During this time, every time someone would walk onto the porch, the dad robin would freak out and flap around, thinking that we were going to cause them harm.

home sweet home

About two weeks ago, the babies were born, and since then we have all been actively watching as they grow. They look gross, as the pictures show, they have some feathers but are mostly weak little wrinkled things that make the saddest chirping sound you could imagine.

We watch them, we worry for their safety, and we haven't seen the mom since they were born. The dad takes care of them full time, bringing them chewed up worms, and the only time we see them is when they are chirping for food.

They're making us all reflect on how quickly time moves, how soon they'll be able to fly, the nest will be abandoned, and life will go on. But for now this family, which is now all adults and has passed the time of parental dependency, will keep watching the robins grow.

even the cats are watching