The Empty Nest Syndrome – Part 1

It so happened as we shifted to our new temporary accommodation, which was two small apartments separated by a common lobby, I noticed a pile of boxes on top of the DB box (Electrical Distribution Board). Though it was quite high, almost close to the ceiling, it had still caught my attention. This was because every time I climbed up the stairs and reached the landing I would hear a flutter. Now that it had come to my notice, the pile of boxes, though arranged neatly, appeared shabby to my eyes. However, I was advised that it was probably there to fill up the empty space and thus dissuade pigeons from making a nest. Yes, that must be it, for pigeons can be quite nasty pests, causing all kinds of infections from skin to breathing!

But then, what about the flutter that I kept hearing? Upon checking, I found out that a common Mynah (starling) had been successful in using one of the top boxes as its nest. I was initially worried about the Mynah family, as our young Beagle, Ginger, would scare away the Mynah parents sitting on the railings. To my surprise, in a few days, all of us got used to each other’s company and started cohabiting.

A few days later we could hear the chirping of the little ones. The young ones would be active most of the day, making soft sounds, which we got used to. It was like a background score that kept playing throughout the day. In fact, we would stop and wait for it at times when everything was quiet a little too long. Even Ginger was quite benevolent and didn’t try to shoo away the ever-careful parents. The soft chirping of the young ones gradually turned noisy by the second week. The pair of parents tirelessly moving around truly amazed me. They feed their young ones, guarded them, and were constantly on the move without any break or complain.

I just could not help compare my life with that Mynah parent! There she was, following the most important shloka from the Bhagvad Gita ‘Karmanye vadhi karaste, ma faleshu kadachana’ to the hilt! And here I was, complaining about being constantly busy. My work had increased as there were three men in the house, thanks to the extraordinary Covid-19 situation; two of them are young adults, who could be demanding and expected variety in the meals! How I wish we were like those Mynah birds, gratified with whatever landed on the plate.

But then, watching the Mynah parent did help. I drew my own lessons as a human and continued with what was on my plate- my responsibilities, without any further complaints. In fact, I kind of learnt to look at the positive side of Covid lockdown.

In these testing times, at least both the children were around and it has brought peace. The very fact that the whole family is together is kind of comforting. Like every family with two grown up boys, we do have our moments of angst, where each one of us just wonders ‘what have I done to deserve this’! However, such moments generally culminate with our mute member, Ginger coming to the rescue and reminding us all of learning to live in the moment! There’s so much to learn from those creatures around us, only if we pay enough attention.

(to be continued…)

Click here to read Part 2