Yesterday while I had my son, Aiden, outside to watch my husband mow the lawn, we found a bird’s nest in the garden. I excitedly pointed it out to my little one. The eggs in it were huge by wild bird standards, at least as big as the chicken eggs in my fridge. We looked around for the mother bird, but she was out to lunch. In fact, I still don’t know what kind of bird they belong to, but Aiden and I peek out the kitchen window every hour or so trying and catch an identifying glimpse.
My memory fired into high gear as I remembered a bird’s nest my mother found for my brother and I when we were little more than knee high. She would never let us touch it, of course, but first we got to see the eggs, then the baby birds grow each day. By the time the birds had flown the nest, my brother and I had names for each of them and my mother had incorporated them into our bedtime stories. Being the wonderful mother that she is she made us each a photo album of the birds growing up, a few with us in the corner of the frame peeking into the nest.
I took the opportunity to start the same thing for Aiden. He is only nine months old, but he still gets very excited as we peer over the rock wall at the eggs. It may not mean much more than a momentary entertainment now, but in a year or two he will be able to look at the birds growing up and know that was a part of his life. In fact, when I visit my parents again I’m going to get my old album from under my bed so that he can see that his mom had her own nest to watch when she was little too.
Do you have any family rituals or photos that need a new generation? Not only is it a fun way to keep up with traditions, it provides memories for those following in our footsteps. Retake some photos, even if it is decades later, and put them side by side. The important things in life carry through to those who follow.
Christy, Aspiring Child Photographer
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