Birds

Last year, a couple of birds built a nest on a light fixture that is just above the entry way in our apartment complex, approximately twelve feet off the ground. We live on the second floor so this means the nest sat below our unit. We watched daily as the nest went from nothing to a woven beauty of nature. After the birds were completely finished, the maintenance crew destroyed it during their effort to keep the apartment complex clean. Instead of finding another place to build the nest, the birds built it in exactly the same spot and hatched their eggs later in the summer, before the nest was torn down again by the maintenance guys.

This year, Spring came and Jenn and I waited for the birds to come back. They did and began building a nest in the same spot. Again we watched as the birds constructed a nest. And again, the maintenance crew destroyed it while cleaning the outside of the complex.

We arrived home and saw the birds hanging around the area chirping even though their nest was gone. Jenn's reaction was that of sadness. I somewhat felt sorry for the birds too, but was more interested in what they would do next. I figured that they would just build it again, because they had no other choice, and that is what they would need to do to have offspring. The question became would they build under the roof again to protect from storms, or would they take their chance in the nearby trees?

The next day they began building again. This time however, they built higher and to my surprise, in a less sturdy place. The first nest sat squarely on the light fixture, and it was the perfect size. This nest was built near the ceiling of the second floor, which means now it was located above us. They used the wood trim as a base. The trim only gave them about a half inch of wood, but somehow these birds constructed a nest that sticks out six inches over this half inch piece of wood. It has lasted for over a month now, and there are five baby birds being supported by this nest.

It's a marvel to watch nature in action, and I was somewhat inspired by these birds building a nest with little in the face of adversity. Pretty soon the little birds will learn to fly and a marvelous cycle will have been completed before the birds' instincts takes them to a warmer climate.

If these little creatures can fly, and build sturdy homes with no arms, then why is it that humans let any kind of limitation hold them back when we have been given the gift of creative thought?

I hope to remember the lesson that those birds taught. When your nest is torn down, just rebuild it. Don't question why or think about it, just rebuild. That's what a bird would do. Life goes on.