About Nests and Wings

There was a time during my pre-pubescent years when I had gotten in trouble during Sunday School class consecutively week after week, and my teacher had had enough and he kicked me out of his class for a few weeks. I think I was going through some weird phase, because I was normally a good kid. Around the same time, my Merrie Miss teacher in Primary was struggling with me in the class, too. So...the result was that I had to go with my dad to his adult Sunday School class and with my mom to the Young Women's (she had a calling as a leader in there) instead of going to Primary. I think I was 11 at the time (Young Women's is for girls age 12-18). I've never forgotten the lesson they had the one particular Sunday that I had to go with my mom to Young Women's. They were having a combined lesson that day, so the girls all met together instead of splitting up into different age groups for classes. My mom was in charge of the combined lesson, and had been preparing for weeks. She doesn't like to speak publicly, so she plans and prepares way ahead of time to help her not be so nervous in front of everyone. We watched a video called "Nests & Wings, and Kites & Strings". The movie was made in the late 70's, and from what I can remember, it was about growing up, and becoming mature, and making good choices, and learning to be responsible for oneself, and preparing to leave the comfort of the parents' house. As an 11 year old, it was really all over my head. She handed out a little mini paper kite she'd made with the lyrics printed on it of the song that was played in the movie to the girls afterwards. Then my mom spoke to the girls, and cried as she talked about being a mother and watching her children grow up, and seeing the choices they were making. It was emotional for her, because she was speaking of truth and things that were very near and dear to her heart. The young and immature me felt embarrassed to see my mom cry in front of everyone, and instead of listening to what she was really saying and sharing with the group, I focused on her tears and my embarrassment.

But there was something about the song from the movie that I loved. I stuck that little kite hand-out that my mom had made on the mirror in my bedroom at home. I occasionally read the lyrics and sang it in my head. And now, over 20 years later now, I can still remember the song that was played during that movie. I have never heard it once since, but sometimes the lyrics of the chorus jump into my head at random moments, and I easily recall the tune of the song as these words flow through my head: "Nests and Wings and Kites and Strings, that's how we live each day. Nests for bird's security and Wings to fly away." And that's all I can remember of it. Despite my lack of listening and paying attention and showing respect at the time, I did take something out of my mom's heartfelt & thoughtful lesson that day.

Today, on Mother's Day, I am thinking of the nest I had to grow up in and for the love of my nurturing mother, despite my occasional rebellions. I'm grateful for her lessons of truth and her example of dignity and perserverance, of patience and hope, of service and forgiveness. I'm honored to have her as my mother! She instilled in me the desire to be a righteous mother myself, and once I grew up and developed my own wings, I left that nest that I'd always known to create my own nest. I love my mother, and I've always used her as the example of the kind of mother I want to be to my own sons. Most of the time, I don't live up to my expectation of being like her, but I am still striving. I am so blessed to have had her positive influence throughout my life: during my upbringing and the days of my youth, through the days of my rebellions and into my teenage years, and now into my adult years and days of my own motherhood. I love you, mom! Happy Mother's Day to the kindest mother I know.