Beyond The Parenting Tale Of Junior Mourning Dove (Part 3 Of 4)

In Parts 1 and 2 of this blog, we saw how a parent can be a nightmare. However, our parenting prayers could be answered by nature, a true gift from God when our fledglings refuse to leave the nest. The saga of the parent and the fledgling continues in Part 3 when a little Tough-Love can go a long way for survival….

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Junior’s parent was not going to give up. Finally, Mr. Dove flew up to the nest. When Junior Dove stood up and began to bob his head for food daddy gently climbed into the nest behind him and pushed him to the edge. Junior teetered and then fell, fluttering and flapping all the way to the ground.

Daddy Dove had given his baby boy the boot!

Junior Dove landed next to Mrs. Dove who was patiently waiting for him on the ground. She immediately fed him which went beyond nourishment. It was a form of reward. Then Mrs. Dove led Junior behind the water feature where he snuggled against her, and together they patiently adjusted to Junior being out of the nest.

With the problem of reluctant Junior solved, or so it seemed, and as if on cue, the other parent-birds in the neighborhood went into action.

Miniscule Mrs. Hummingbird flew like a UFO spaceship to her fig tree branch and proceeded to destroy her nest. She ripped big chunks out of the tiny nest and threw them into the air until what was left finally fell to the porch floor and blew away. Satisfied with her handiwork, she flew back into the orange tree. The big message from the little bird was clear;

“Kids, you cannot go back.”

I checked on the Mocking Bird family. While parent Daddy Mockingbird fed the ravenous triplets in the bushes, Mrs. Mockingbird was in the tree pulling the anchor twigs out of their nest which then collapsed inward and fell to the ground. Her message echoed that of Mrs. Hummingbird’s.

“There is no returning to babyhood. There is only moving forward to adulthood.”

The sound of my cell phone called me back to the porch. It was a scuba diving friend calling to tell me she and her husband had sold the big family home up north and were moving into a smaller condo close to me in the Palm Springs area. “What about your sons in college? How are they going to feel about this and how are you all going to fit everyone into a small two-bedroom condo?” I asked.

“Oh, we haven’t told them, yet,” she laughed….

(Watch for Part 4 of this 4 part Parenting Blog- The Parenting Tale of Junior Morning- to find out how the human and feathered fledglings react to no longer having their childhood home. )

If you liked this article you may enjoy http://www.patheos.com/blogs/aboveandbeyondthe5senses/2018/07/beyond-boomers-and-millennials-do-you-remember-when-part-1-of-2/

About the Author: Kathleen (Kat) O’Keefe-Kanavos is a TV Producer/Host and Author/Lecturer of Dreams That Can Save Your Life written with Dr. Larry Burk, Foreword by Berne Siegel, which promotes patient advocacy and connecting with Dreams for success in health, wealth, and relationships. Contact –Kathleen O’Keefe-Kanavos Website