Nesting

While some are watching robins or eagles build their nests, I'm thinking of the kind of nesting we experience in different stages of our life. Sometimes we cannot help but smile as we observe each other in this inborn instinct to settle ourselves into a new place in life. It's an act of making our surroundings as comfortable and pleasant as we can. A time filled with hope and expectation.

Our first home was an old little 700 sq foot  house on blocks, in need of some tender loving care. A coat of paint, a new floor, curtains and a good scrub down of appliances and cupboards changed it to become our beautiful nest!

After a move into a larger place, we wallpapered a nursery in yellow and bought a white crib and a white dresser, which we filled with tiny baby things to welcome our first child.

First days of school brought about a different kind of nesting as we sharpened and labelled pencils and other school supplies.  The anticipation of a new year took us to the mall for a fall wardrobe while the hot summer sun was still high in the sky.

College Days, the car was packed to the gills with everything a girl would need to finish a dorm room . .. and when we got there, we'd still be running out to get the right lamp or rug or something. It was a time of moving a nest which, even then, gave me a sense of calm when I knew it was ready.

These days there is a type of nesting happening as an empty house on West Papua, via photos and measurements,  is getting a vicarious make-over from this side of the Pacific Ocean. Like in other life situations, going into the unknown with the necessary tools, or taking part of home with you, is a way of making the transition more comfortable. We did some shopping together . . . she and I . . . bath towels, a shower curtain, bedding and curtain panels while the set of dishes we bought for Christmas, have stayed in their boxes to be opened at the right time.

As she plans and we imagine what it will all look like when it comes together, the reality of a new home emerges. And even though the nesting has been passed on, I am still looking out and feeling its positive effects. I know that she will make a comfortable nest for her family.