As Mother’s Day came to an end, I found myself thinking about the role of parents. A mother’s (or father’s) job is not to keep the children tethered to the home or dependent upon parents. The task is to raise children who are independent and self-sufficient.
This reminds me of birds, who take quite good care of their young. However, eventually, when they are big and strong, they fly away. Not only that, the young birds must develop the courage to test out those wings—to jump out of the nest and fly for the first time.
The birds don’t coddle the babies. They don’t tell them they aren’t ready to leave the nest. They just feed them. And they try to help them when they leave the nest a bit too early. And they let them fly away once they are ready.
If parents can teach their children independence, self-sufficiency, and courage, they accomplish the true goal of parenthood.
Then it’s up to the children to remember what they have learned—that leaving the nest is necessary and they have the tools to survive.
How often do you fly courageously from your nest?
