Protected nest!

Ask any Texan, and you will no doubt learn that the mockingbird has the prettiest song of any bird native to North America, making it the chief reason the "mocker" was adopted as the state bird of Texas in 1927. The mockingbird is also known as a fierce protector of its nest and environment. It is sometimes seen swooping down on a dog, cat or ME for venturing too close to the bird's protected territory.

I have spent the last month intrigued by a mockingbird couple who took up residence in a basket on my front door. One day their nest just appeared and sometime later I discovered beautiful blue speckled eggs. Then of course I anxiously snooped each morning until the eggs hatched! Baby birds…how adorably ugly!!! Little did I know the down side of having a nest at the front door, but a quick trip to the mailbox and back, taught me a lesson about a watchful mother and the lengths one will go to protect their young! My head still hurts a little!! Good thing she can sing!!!

Sweetly, St. Philip reminded me that I would do the same thing if I thought someone was going to hurt my babies….

just use the back door!!!

He was right, I would do the same thing…I pride myself in being a good mother, a loving mother, a protective mother…but sometimes these attributes don’t always work well together for the greater good! As a mother of a teenager in “love”, I realize that to be protective is not always seen as loving or good in their eyes. I also have to say that I must have missed this lesson with my oldest son…or maybe I was just too busy chasing toddlers to be protective of their handsome, “glad I was busy” 16 year old brother. I am learning, slowly, that my being protective can put me in the “enemy category”. The mockingbird swoop isn’t working! Instead of making things better, I’m making things worse. My attempts at making things clearer, just muddy the waters. Apparently, things are different now than they were in the “olden’ days! If only I could sing….someone might adopt me as the "State Mother". Maybe I should just busy myself with the grandkids…I’m better with toddlers ~ Or maybe I should just use the back door, it’s safer!

MY backdoor ~ Prayer… prayer that 17 year olds will open their eyes and see that God has a wonderful plan for them, that may or may not include each other, prayer that my loving concern and protectiveness will one day be accepted, and prayer that a few years from now we will all look back on this, understand and smile!

If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children,

how much more will your Father who is in heaven

give good things to those who ask Him
Matthew 7:11

Joyfully swooping from the backdoor, b