Bye-Bye Birdie

This will probably be my last shot of the robins nest on East Shiawassee Street...unless mom does the necessary "things", and has a second batch. Just like in the game of Musical Chairs...it's not much fun being the last one standing. His face looks perplexed. I took another shot, and he had his eyes closed, as if to say, "What do I do now? Should I jump, and hope for the best? Why has everybody left me? Where's mom?" His four siblings have packed their bags, and hit the dusty road. He is the Last of the Ro-bin-hi-cans.

A few years back...we had a robins nest in our back yard. I hated to bother the mother and make her nervous...BUT... I got daily pictures from the egg-breaking ceremony to the bon-voyage...the departure...to the "I bid you a fond adieu." I called it 16 Days of Glory...after the Olympic Games film of the same name. 16 days from hatch-a-roo to tood-a-loo. Amazing to witness and watch.

I let my mind wander as I finished my walk home. In human terms...that 16 days of robin-hood translates into about 16 years of child-hood. I think we have all asked ourselves this question..."Where did the time go? It seems like that one day we are SOOO exited to see our kids crawl...then it's the first steps...then it's "Hey dad, can I use the car tonight?" A blink of an eye...and decades seem to disappear.

I find it easier as a grandparent. Perhaps it's the pressure of being a parent, and everything being so new. I've watched my 8-month old grandson go from being a little blob on my bed...to being a blob on my bed with a mind of his own. He used to just lay there and watch Sportscenter with me. Now, I have to keep him in the center of the bed...because he rolls and rolls, and then flashes those baby-blues as if to say, "C'mon Grandpa...entertain me. What can we do next?"

All the while...life is rushing by us.
Hold it now, and don't let go.
These are the days...
The sweetest days we'll know.
The Sweetest Days- Vanessa Williams

However old you are....Cherish the time you have with children and grandchildren. Just like the baby robins....whether it is 16 days or 16 years...they'll be waving to you at the backdoor. They will be exiting- stage right. They will be the Von Trapp kids singing..."So long, farewell........"

Grab ahold and enjoy the ride. Because....these are the SWEETEST DAYS you'll know. Can I hear an AMEN?