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Summer Reflection

The last few months I have watched hedgehogs come and scoff most nights, I have had three families of sparrows in the camera box on my wall, my very own little Kardashians and then all the other bird boxes are full of sparrows but only seen as they fledge or watching the mums and dads flying in and out and then I had two Wood Pigeon hatched right under my bedroom window. So a flurry of feathers and prickles and the thing in all this which struck me was the instinctive care and protective nature of parents.

Cynics might speak of it being a passing on of genetic material and nothing more, the birds are determined to make sure their 'line' survives and maybe this is true but when you see the hatched chicks harrowing the poor parents every time they rush in and out with endless delicacies, or not so delicate stuff, or you see the fledglings shriek and screech and follow their poor parents from branch to branch demanding and begging it strikes me their is something inherently wonderful about parenthood.

The adult birds, once the babies fledge, will disappear for a while to attempt to convalesce and build up their strength. Many adult birds actually endanger their own health so as to enable their young to survive. This is the vocation of the parent, not the endangering  so much as the wonderful taking on of the preparedness to do all in their power to enable the safe growth and development of their young. Now you parents do this so much more. Yours do not fledge for quite some years and even after, I know from my own parents, you will continue to care for and worry about and protect your children no matter what. So you knock the birds and the hedgehogs into a cocked hat, because you love your children with an overpowering and long lasting love. And God the Father, well He knocks your love into a cocked hat because He loves all of you with an even more overpowering and transforming and indeed everlasting love.

Father Mark
July 2015