The Mourning Dove

Mother's Day was celebrated by everyone recently. I stopped to consider what it is about mothers that is so unique. There was an excellent illustration of what that quality is, sitting on a high level part of our gas meter in the backyard. For the second year, a mourning dove had built her nest in that area and was sitting quietly on it.

One might think that the environment she had selected was peaceful and quiet, thus making it easy for her to sit on her egg/eggs until hatched....and that would be wrong. It was extremely loud and noisy which might have led us to think it would upset her. That would also be wrong. One day the yard workers were back there pruning all the trees, grinding the limbs, and shouting in Spanish, and making a variety of noises. This activity was extremely near the nest. And the mother dove was sitting stoically still, somehow with a visible, mysterious resolve to complete her life purpose.

She did this for several days, and one day a baby bird was sitting next to her, healthy and bright. After a few days, they were both gone...an empty nest. Why? How did she learn this process? How was this bird moved to lay her eggs, care for her young, and teach it to fly? When we observe this quality of motherhood throughout time, even stronger in human beings, it is easy to know that God is the only reason and answer. The mystique of creation...who can fathom its complexity?