"We're all just fragile threads, but what a tapestry we make." – Jerry Ellis

Being a Martyr Mom

03 17 14

When I got to work this morning, my boss had cut out a cartoon and had left it on my desk.  It was a Baby Blues cartoon, and began with the kid asking the mom if he and his sister could watch some TV while she cooked dinner.  The mom answers “sure” and is shown tackling laundry, childcare and dinner duty solo, all the while grumbling how she LOVES doing everything around the house all by herself.  It ends with the kid returning to his sister and letting her know, “She said ‘sure’”.

I appreciated the laugh and seeing that on Monday morning, after leaving a messy house with a to-do list a mile long, made my day.  The timing was perfect—I almost wondered if my boss had been a fly on the wall in my house at dinner last night!  The fact that it was so relatable hit me in a couple ways.  First, I can be that Martyr Mom at times, complaining about how I have to do everything, after having never asked for help.  I forget my kids (and even sometimes my husband) don’t read minds and if I want them to do something, I need to specifically instruct.  Second, I began to wonder what message, if any, I send my family as I putter about in the kitchen, closing cabinet doors a little too hard and muttering to myself.  The reality is, they probably hear what they want to—Mom’s got dinner covered, let’s play XBOX until she calls us in.

I admire Marla Cilley of Flylady fame.  She has a website, www.flylady.net, where she helps those of us with Housework Attention Deficit Disorder (my terminology) develop routines and habits for keeping an organized, tidy home.  One of the points she makes when people whine that their families don’t help them is that it’s better to lead them by example than nagging them to death.  I guess I’ve never quite been a good enough example to test that theory, but I love how she sees the complaining as being a martyr.  I’ve been around enough martyrs in my life, haven’t you?  You know the type.  They do this, that and the other and it’s so hard and nobody appreciates them and blah blah blah.  I have to put the blah blah blah in there because I honestly don’t think I’ve ever heard what comes after that.  And neither do our kids.

None of us wants to be that person, yet I do think all of us have felt that way at times.  Whether or not we verbalize it depends on who we’re with and what mood we’re in.

So Martyr Mom tendencies aside, the cartoon made me think about what we Moms (and Dads) need to do to get our families more involved in the household routines.  I stayed home with the kids until my oldest was a freshman in high school.  From the time they were born, I did all the household tasks—laundry, cooking, cleaning, etc.  I considered it my full-time job and felt blessed to be home with them when they were little.  Any time I tried to develop some kind of chore system I became so frustrated I just gave up.  As they got older and I became more involved in activities outside the home (many of them revolving around the kids like coaching, leading Girl Scouts, etc.) eventually returning to work part-time, I should have been more diligent in assigning them specific things to do.  Instead, I mistakenly just believed that they were mini adults, and would see something that needed to be done and just do it for sake of cleanliness and hygiene. (They’re good kids, but not that good!)

Now don’t get me wrong, my kids will do chores when specifically asked, even if at times I have to ask more than once.  The problem is that I need to let go of the idea that they will use their observation skills to see I need help and instinctively offer to set the table.  Like the mom in the cartoon, my frustration is, in part, of my own making.

Because while nobody likes being given Mom’s To-Do List, they dislike Martyr Mom even more.

Category:

family

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What a Difference a Day Makes

03 11 14

Yesterday was rough. No singular reason, but just a tough, glitch-filled day at work, a lack of energy and that overwhelmed feeling that no matter what I did, I’d never catch up.  Scheduling conflicts prevailed and I fell off my “perfect” streak on my Clean Eating diet in a moment of weakness.  So nothing catastrophic, but the day where nothing went as I’d planned and I felt out of control.  Bottom line, it was one of those days where I felt like I was drowning.

Today, though, today is a brand new day.  Where yesterday I felt like I took two steps backwards for every one forward, today feels like a breeze.  I received some paperwork I’ve been waiting on to move forward on a project at work (with no nagging involved) and the afternoon is stretched out before me as time with my kids on Spring Break.  Not that today hasn’t had its hiccups, it has, but this feeling like Ms. Black Cloud Karma is hovering over me isn’t there today.  I haven’t been second guessing every move wondering what could go wrong next.  The cosmos have shifted, and I though I can’t explain why, I am grateful.

It makes me very understanding of early civilizations who believed in the wrath of gods and nature.  When everything piles on all at the same time, there has to be some force behind it orchestrating it that way, right? Do negative thoughts really breed more negativity?  Does a positive outlook bring about positive events. Perhaps.

Isn’t it funny what a difference a day makes?

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Uncategorized

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Clean Eating Challenge Day 6

03 10 14

I’ve learned quite a bit in the last six days about eating clean:

  1.  Tempeh, though not easy to find, tastes pretty good in stir fry.
  2. Eating clean, including all the vegetables, takes dedication and planning.
  3. Leftovers are manna from heaven.
  4. I can go to Applebees and not feel deprived. (steak and broccoli)
  5. When you are really hungry, it is harder to stay on the plan when presented with pizza.
  6. Homemade concoctions of healthy stuff are time-consuming and hard to enter into My Fitness Pal—I still think I like pen and paper, even if it’s not as thorough of a tracking calorie-wise.
  7. I love the Dr. Hyman’s Whole Food Protein Shake.  It’s made with a bunch of nuts and seeds, blueberries and a banana.  It really is filling.

I’m pretty pleased with how it’s been going.  I really only craved sweets this afternoon.  I was standing at the kitchen sink, and out of nowhere the thought of something sweet just jumped into my head and I really had to work to shake it.  I was tired today, and was getting ready for lunch, but it did pass.  I have felt good and not hungry, which I was afraid of when beginning this detox part of the plan.

Now I have to be honest, tonight I was “off plan”.  The girls and their moms from Erin’s basketball team went to Pizza Street.  I rarely show self-control at buffets, but I did better tonight.  First, I made a really big salad and, knowing it wasn’t on the plan (crust and cheese!), put one slice of veggie pizza on my plate.  I was still hungry, so I had a second piece and then a third.  (They weren’t very big pieces.)  I’m just really glad they didn’t have the chocolate desserts out, or it would have been all over!

I only feel a little bit guilty about tonight, because I have been totally on the plan the rest of the time, and I did eat a ton of vegetables today.  If I feel bad tomorrow, I will think otherwise!  I didn’t eat mindlessly, and I savored each bite.  Also, no soda.  And in contrast to how I usually eat, I wasn’t so bad!

Does the proceeding sound like justification?  (I’m good at justifying my bad behavior!) So yes, I caved, but it’s done and I need to just go forward.  Tomorrow is another day.

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healthy eating

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Remembering Charlie

03 07 14
Charlie hanging out in the yard.

Charlie hanging out in the yard.

Today, one of my best friends who happens to be my cousin, had to euthanize their family dog, who succumbed to cancer.  Kim and Matt had Charlie since the early days of their marriage, and like most newlywed couples, Charlie the dog was like their first child.  Charlie was exceptionally smart and well-behaved.  In fact, I wish our two dogs now had half his manners!  We all loved Charlie.

We have had to have two dogs euthanized and one died on her own.  Each loss hurt tremendously and I felt like I’d lost one of my best friends.  I pulled this out of my writings that I wrote after we had to put our dog, Amber, to sleep back in 2004.  Today I’d like to dedicate the message Kim, Matt, Joe and Jason in memorial to Charlie!  RIP sweet friend.

HIS EYE IS ON THE SPARROW

This past March, I had to take our beloved dog, Amber, to be put to sleep.  Now, if you’re not an animal lover, you may be thinking, “It’s only a dog.” But if you’ve ever loved a pet you’ll know how difficult it is to make that decision.

I’d had Amber since I was 15 years old—a little over 17 years.  Before I met my husband, had babies and became a “grown up”, I had Amber.  Yes, she was just a dog, but she did teach me a lot about loyalty, unconditional love and devotion.  Though I’d had other pets growing up, she required a bit more care and attention (I couldn’t just leave her in the cage like a guinea pig or hamster), teaching me responsibility and how to nurture another.  And during her puppy “chewing” phase, she taught me patience—I went through a lot of shoes.  She was a wonderful companion.

So, other than memorializing my pet’s memory, what does this have to do with the Bible?  Well, it got me to thinking about where pets belong in God’s kingdom.   I desperately wanted to believe that somehow my dog—my loyal friend—was in some sort of “doggie” heaven.

Once I asked a former co-worker, who happened to be going through seminary, if dogs go to heaven when they die.  He explained to me that the Bible didn’t say anything specific about pets, because back in the time it was written animals were either food or workers.  So, unfortunately, there are no “Rover” verses for me to look up in my Concordance!   Yet we know God created animals, and it does speak of God’s creatures.  The verse that came to me was Luke 12:6-7.  I didn’t remember the words of the passage perfectly, let alone the Scripture reference, but I remembered the song, “His Eye is on the Sparrow”, with the line, “His eye is on the sparrow, and I know that he watches over me.”  So, when I felt ready, I looked up “sparrow” in my Concordance and found where I could look it up.

Call it coincidence (I don’t), but the verse just so happened to be the one the Sunday School kids were talking about the very next day in Chapel at Sunday School.  I’m not sure if my son, Tyler, who was grieving for his pet, made the same connection with that verse that I did.  But I found it comforting.

In the Scripture passage, which really begins with Luke 12:1, Jesus is speaking to his disciples, and an apparently “rowdy crowd” (I call trampling on each other rowdy!)  He starts to warn them about the hypocrisy of the Pharisees.  He tells them not to be afraid of those people who can do physical harm to them, but instead, they should fear Him who “has the power to throw you into hell.”  Not exactly a warm fuzzy, huh?  But he goes on, and what he has to say in verses 6 and 7 is heartwarming to me.  “Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies?  Yet not one of them is forgotten by God.  Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  Don’t be afraid;  you are worth more than many sparrows.”  In other words, the mere sparrow was just a lowly creature not given much value here on Earth.  But still God cares for it, knowing each of His creations intimately.  This Scripture gives me hope and gives us a glimpse at a God who lovingly created our world, down to the tiniest, seemingly insignificant creature.

Our pets, creations of the same loving Father who made us, have a place with Him.  Now does this mean dogs and other pets go to heaven?  I don’t know.  And I am certain that there are numerous arguments to be had about an animal’s soul or lack thereof.  But a God who loves the insignificant sparrow created it all, and I can put my faith in that fact.  “His eye is on the sparrow, and I know that he watches over me.”

Category:

dog lovers, faith, family

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Day 1 of The Challenge

03 06 14

So yesterday I started my challenge.  It was the craziest day I’d had in a long time…not because of the eating thing, but because of the schedule thing!  I had work, dentist appointment and a long-awaited Girls Night Out.  Oh, and I spent over an hour and a half in the grocery store looking for things like tempeh and tahini paste (ground up sesame seeds).

But overall I think I did pretty good.  I probably actually didn’t eat enough because I was on the run the whole day, and I probably should have skipped the red wine at the Wine and Canvas event.  (It was SO good!)

Emily and Erin were disappointed when they helped me carry in the groceries yesterday.  “No ice cream?”  I think they think they’re going to starve.  I believe I truly glimpsed a little panic in their faces when they saw all the vegetables in the refrigerator.  I can see them being a challenge in this challenge, but they also are good at being supportive.  As long as I don’t make them eat TOO many vegetables.

Today I’m going to try to hunt down the obscure ingredients I couldn’t find yesterday.  I don’t want to spend a whole lot of time on that, but I also feel like I’m one of those people that want to make every recipe EXACTLY as it is given or I’ll mess it up.  I think if I were a better cook I’d be able to just improvise, so maybe as time goes on I’ll get better at it.

Right now I’m following The Daniel Plan 10 day detox diet.  I know, I said I wouldn’t use the word diet, but a friend told me about it and I like the concept of it.  I needed something that said WHAT to eat exactly, at least for now.  An idiot-proof plan.  And this one incorporates faith, friends and brain health into it as well.  The detox plan calls for no sugar or grains (even whole grains.) The point is to eliminate all dairy and gluten in the beginning to gauge how your system does without them.

Since I barely had time to put the groceries away last night, this morning I got up and made Artichoke Hummus (actually quite good!) and chopped up the day’s vegetables.  I know I’m in the honeymoon phase of this Challenge, all revved up with good intentions, but I’m happy I at least have that attitude for now.  It’s time for Day 2!

Category:

healthy eating

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Who I Run 4

03 04 14

I didn’t start running until I was 38 years old.  Truthfully, I didn’t get into fitness period until I had Erin at age 30 and was tired of going up sizes when I went shopping.  But running has been different than just working out for me.

I started running because of Girls on the Run.  If you’ve never heard of it, it’s an organization that was started as a character development to empower girls in grades 3-5 to be healthy and strong.  As they say, it’s so much more than a running program.  For ten weeks, we have lessons that cover topics from healthy choices with our food to bullies and being assertive.  Our team does a community service project each season (our school participates in both the spring and fall seasons).  I cannot say enough good things about this national program, and I give total credit to becoming a runner to Girls on the Run.  Even if I’m kind of old to be called a “girl”, I think I have gotten as much out of this program as the girls do.  After all, who can’t hear enough that being assertive and standing up for yourself is wonderful?

The very first 5K I ran was with Girls on the Run, and I’d never participated in any organized run before.  That first one I will never forget—I felt like I’d just done something tremendous and I was so proud of our little team.  That was five years ago, when we scraped together enough girls to have a full team of eight girls.  Now we have over 30 girls each season.  The atmosphere at a Girls on the Run race is very party-like and fun.  Now that I’ve run a lot of organized races, I realize that it’s pretty unique in the tremendous amount of positive vibes that are just out there at that event.  Truly amazing.

This past fall, I became acquainted with another organization that makes my running more meaningful.  It’s called Who I Run 4.  It was started when the founder, Tim Boyle, promised to run for a friend who was battling bilateral hip dyspasia—a friend who COULDN’T run.  The concept is simple, yet so powerful.  Runners sign up to be matched with a buddy.  Buddies can be newborn babies to adults who physically are unable to run.  Runners dedicate their miles to their buddy.  You connect on Facebook and a lot of the pairs actually meet eventually.  The relationships that develop are such a beautiful thing.

My buddy is a little boy named Niko.  He isn’t even a year old, and has many health issues.  First, I have to say, he is absolutely adorable and has the most beautiful, happy smile. He has a very rare syndrome called 2Q37 Deletion—most babies with this syndrome don’t survive the pregnancy.  But his mom, Briane, who I keep in touch with, is an amazing mom.  Her posts are so full of hope and love for her baby.  I really do think about Niko and his family every time I’m running and they inspire me to be a more grateful person.  Whenever I want to be reassured that there are loving, caring people in the world, I just read through the posts on Facebook for our group.

Running has become so much more than the physical activity of turning over my legs.  It represents me when I’m being my best self—okay, maybe not my messy hair or my smelly sweat—but the me that strives for more and is willing to work for it.  I realize that it’s in part due to the endorphins, but when I run I’m reminded of the many joys in my life.  And they are something to celebrate.

 

For more information on Girls on the Run see www.girlsontherun.org

For more information on Who I Run 4 see http://www.whoirun4.com

Category:

family, Girls on the Run, running, Who I Run 4

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Getting Ready for the Challenge

03 02 14

In preparation for the 40-days of Clean Eating, I’m getting some prep work done in advance.  Specifically, I’m planning. Yes, I’m actually thinking about what to make for dinner more than 20 minutes beforehand.  That is one of the toughest parts about eating healthy for me.  At this point in my life, I know what to cook and what to avoid, but I just never seem to plan out how to make healthy meals happen.  I like the Spark People cookbook because it has good, everyday recipes that don’t have obscure ingredients.

I think that the reason why celebrities like Oprah are able to shed huge amounts of weight when they get motivated is because they have personal chefs that come in and make food for them.  I don’t fault them for this…if my paycheck depended on my ability to look fantastic on camera I would be working out every day and eating whatever I needed to keep the money rolling in.  However, in my job as an Administrative Assistant the only fitness prowess I need to exhibit is in my fingertips, typing reports.  And my co-workers like when I bring food in-especially the unhealthy stuff.

Another way I’m preparing for this challenge is to try to go through my pantry/freezer and get rid of temptations.  I cannot bear to just throw out perfectly good food, but if it’s been in there for a while and no one’s eaten it, it’s getting trashed.  I will not throw out the Valentine’s chocolates Darrell gave me.  I will just nibble one on Sundays during Lent (Sundays are exempt during the Lenten season).  I promise not to eat the whole box, either!  This step will be hard for me, because I’m kind of a food hoarder.  My pantry could probably feed my entire neighborhood if we had some kind of Zombie Apocalypse.  (So could my freezer, but we’d have to have power during the hypothetical Apocalypse, so I’m not going to count that.)

I am also going to take my measurements and before pictures.  As I’ve said, I’m not going for any set weight loss goal.  I am more interested in improving my fitness and energy levels by eating healthier.  But any journey needs a starting point, and quantifiable, photographic evidence is a good place to start.

Finally, I’m going to be forced to be accountable going through the process.  Putting it out there on The Lighthearted Dragonfly is definitely out of my comfort zone.  But I know myself…if I have someone to be accountable to, even if it’s posting online, helps me stay focused. I am a big fan of a food diary and have found those to be a great way to see what’s going in. (Don’t worry, I won’t post each morsel.) I’ve never used an app for that before—I’m a pen and paper kind of girl—but I am going to try the My Fitness Pal app.  I always log my running/training on Runtastic, so it’s nice that the two work together.

So that’s the plan for today.  We had another ice storm in our latest winter blast, so being housebound I’ll be able to get everything ready for putting the plan in motion for Wednesday, including the pantry cleaning I’ve been putting off.  And maybe get rid of a chocolate or two that’s hiding there.

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healthy eating

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Eating Clean in 2014 Lenten Challenge

02 28 14

I hate the word “diet” because I am not very good at following one. Yet, I get freaked out when I think of trying to eat a certain way forever and ever and ever. I like the idea of taking something that’s difficult and breaking it into doable pieces, similar to my mindset for running longer distances. One mile at a time.

And, as much as I hate diets, I adore my father-in-law, Mike, whose recent heart health scare has caused some serious discussion between my husband Darrell and I about how we eat. Like many people, Mike has been advised by his doctor to change how he eats and get more active. So, in an effort to show some support, as well as to be a little more proactive in our health, Darrell and I are going to start a Healthy Eating 40 Day Challenge, beginning next week on Ash Wednesday. The Lenten season seemed like a great time to make a few soul searching changes.
I have been trying to decide what diet to follow for this. At first I thought I’d try Paleo again. I tried to do Paleo a few years back and only lasted about a month. In Paleo, there’s no dairy, no legumes and no grains. Your carbohydrates come from your vegetables, and the focus is on lean meat and vegetables. I did great with the meat part, but found I was mostly eating meat and filling in with vegetables instead of the other way around. It was very restrictive for me and I found myself thinking of food constantly.

I also considered going gluten/sugar free for the 40 days, but I want to do something in this challenge that I feel I could realistically maintain when it was over. My hope is that if I do something drastic-yet-doable, I will be able to feel the difference and therefore want to keep it up. I don’t mean drastic like all celery or grapefruit for the next month and a half, just really concentrating on getting in the most “good stuff” like fruits and veggies that I can.

So, after listening to what Mike has been told to avoid (white flour, potatoes, pasta, grains, etc) I think we’re going to go with a “Clean Living” approach, with as little of processed foods as possible, focusing on veggies and fruit, lean meat and no fast food (my big downfall). I’m in training for my half marathon, so I’m not looking to shave calories or even really to lose weight, although I’d love it if I did.

For a lot of people, a “Challenge” like this may seem like not much of one so here’s where I hang my dirty laundry: our family eats pretty bad right now, something I’m a little embarrassed by. We eat “on the run” a lot, grabbing a quick bite on the way to the next activity. So part of this challenge for us isn’t the “what” we are eating, but “how” we are living–dashing from place to place, grabbing a handful of Oreos on the way out the door. Not good, I know.

So we’re gearing up and getting ready for “Eating Clean in 2014” at our home. Want to join us? Post your comments and let’s see what progress we can make together.

Category:

healthy eating

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What Makes a Great Person

02 22 14

I asked each of my children when they were younger, “What makes a great person?”.  While none of them gave me great insights into their psyche, I did get an impression of what a great person isn’t—a bully.  They preferred people who didn’t hit them or do mean things to them.  Surprise.

 My mother-in-law, Karen, had to write a paper in college on this topic, and it got me to thinking, too.  What does make a great person?  One hundred years from now, if all we have to look back on are the likes of US Weekly or TMZ, we might think it has much to do with a person’s claim to fame, Hollywood romance or their stylish red carpet attire.  Of course, Hollywood’s greatness gauge is probably not the same as an average person’s, either.  In our modern media, we may run across a great philanthropist or scientist who discovers the cure for a horrible disease.  Truly these people are noble, and maybe even “great”.  Yet, when I think about it, I’ve known a lot of great people who will never be remembered in a magazine or newspaper article, yet their lives have impacted mine with undeniable, unique greatness.  Using my kids’ method of deductive reasoning to determine greatness, great people are not necessarily famous or well-known to others outside their circle of family and friends.  So since I know a little about what greatness isn’t, I decided to give this matter of what greatness actually is some thought, and I’ve come to these conclusions:

Great is a generic and overused adjective.  Sounds cynical, doesn’t it?  But we have to put this out there straight away.  Apparently I was a “great friend” in junior high and high school.  My son brought up some of my yearbooks and reminded me of this fact.  Many of these same people also thought I was “sweet” and even “2 good 2 be 4 gotten”.  Imagine that, I was a legend of greatness in my own time and didn’t even know it.  I also didn’t actually remember a lot of those who held this opinion of me in junior high.  If a great person doesn’t remember those who thought she was great, does the greatness cease to exist?  Hmmmm….

 Greatness, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder.  To the struggling entrepreneur, a successful, self-made businessperson could be the role model for greatness.  Likewise, to the woman in the throes of raising young children, the woman who raised seemingly happy children into responsible and respected adults may be her hero.  People who fit the description of how we wish our future selves to be are “great” on an individual level, without question.  After all, who wants to aspire to mediocrity?

 Greatness comes from within.  In my limited experience, those I’ve thought of as great have similar character traits.  These people are a mixture of men and women, thin and not-so-thin, tall and short, high school drop-outs and holders of multiple educational degrees, businesspeople and homemakers.  Amongst their traits in common?  Generous, patient, compassionate, self-sacrificing, have empathy for others, kind-hearted, energetic, willing to learn from, as well as teach others, and truthful.  There are more, but these seem to re-surface time and time again in people I believe to be great.  Almost any person can demonstrate one or more of these characteristics to some degree.  But great people are consistently great, and usually in more than one area.  Think “good” person, times 50,000.  Incidentally, the greatest also tend to be humble about it. 

 Those who surround themselves with greatness can’t help but to absorb it themselves.  No, I’m not talking about those who ride others’ coattails to make a name for themselves.  But greatness can be contagious!  Think of that one person (you may be lucky enough to have more than one) who brings out the best in you, the one who makes you try harder and not give up.  How do you feel when you spend some time with that person?  Energized and ready to do more to make the world a better place?  A truly great person wants you to be great, too.  This is also something to keep in mind when that little green-eyed monster rears its ugly head when your best friend gets that promotion or loses that last twenty pounds!

 Greatness makes a difference.  A person doesn’t have to organize a world-wide rally for peace and ending hunger to make a difference.  The person in rush hour traffic who lets you get over into the left-turn lane that you missed because you were distracted won’t be getting a shiny metal, but they could make the difference between whether or not you get to your daughter’s kindergarten graduation ceremony in time to see her get her diploma.  Small differences matter, too.

 Clearly, greatness is hard to define, and can also be confused with other noteworthy attributes.  Yet it still can serve as a benchmark for behavior.  Does a particular activity serve a greater good?  While that question may be answered more easily with what behaviors are not great, taking the time to define for oneself what it means to be great can make a good person an asset, maybe even a great asset, to this world.

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family, writing

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From my front porch…

02 18 14
The lone surviving bird from our front porch.

The lone surviving bird from our front porch.

A few years ago, I was surprised to find that a bird had made her nest in my artificial flower arrangement hanging on our front porch.  At first, the little babies were nearly naked and so very tiny.  My three young children and I took a picture of them each day and I grew attached to them.  On his way to work one morning, my husband, Darrell, noticed that something—a cat most likely—had gotten to the nest and knocked the whole thing off the wall.  There were no signs of any of the babies, and I sadly began to clean up the mess.  I lifted up the flower holder, and hidden underneath it was one little baby bird.  I carefully picked him up in a towel and put him and the nest back on the wall, afraid that my touching him would make the mother bird reject him.  Later that day, Mama Bird came back and resumed nurturing her last remaining baby.  I continued observing his growth, taking pictures regularly.  A week or so later I was standing on the driveway and witnessed Baby Bird (now a young “teen” bird) take his first flight.  I never saw him again, as he was ready to move from that nest into the great big world, but I truly believe that I was meant to see him off and know that he had flown away on his own.

Category:

family, nature

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