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Christ, Easter and a Mother bird

"Rat-tat-tat," there it goes again. What could it be? Like me, my dog thinks someone is knocking on the door. I open the door only to find there is no one there. I stand wondering if the wind is hitting my wreath. I close the door and begin to concentrate on the tasks at hand. A few minutes pass and, "Rat-tat-tat," there it goes again. What's going on? I open the door look around but no one there. I study the wreath, turn it over, swing it back and forth, and nothing, there's no sound. I shrug and go inside.

While the kids are calmly working out the dilemma of who cleaned the basement last (yeah -right!). I'm going to stay by the window and hide behind the curtain to catch the culprit or neighborhood trickster. Just as I was thinking I might be losing my mind, I saw her! She ran up to the door and quickly left. Hey, I remember her. I went through this episode almost at the very same time last year. Although there were no words spoken between us, the glares we had given each other clearly showed how we felt. How dare she come back again this year. She was up to her same old tricks!

I had given her twigs off the trees, just as she had specified, and even put out strips of cloth on the branches. Nevertheless, she had made up her mind; she wanted my new spring wreath - again.

I had just finished making it for Easter and hung it out on the door when she began to make trouble. We went through daily confrontations. I would leave in the mornings and come home at the end of the day to find a huge mess at the front door. I would clear it all off and it would be back the very next day. It astonished me. Finally, after taking down the nest six or so times, she did not come around anymore.

I was surprised at how bad I felt. I started wondering where she had gone or if her time had finally run out. The kids ran up the stairs claiming both would not pick up the other's mess and began the common practice of "let's see who can out-stare the other" when we all heard the, "Rat-tat-tat," and ran to the door.

"There's no one there," said the youngest. I told them it was only Robin. "Who is Robin?" - they chimed together. She's a very persistent and headstrong loving mother bird who insists upon building her nest for her babies in my wreath - again. "Why?" - they asked. "I guess because she's searched around and feels like this is the best and most worth while place."

I clued them in on last year's experience. She reminds me of someone else long ago who was constantly thrown off course, mocked, and mimicked. Each time something was built up and it looked like the foundation was secure, it came tumbling down.

Many made fun of the work and tried to destroy it at every chance. The conviction of beliefs held strong within his heart gave the persistence needed to push on with the insurmountable work that lay ahead. One day it all collapsed and he was put to death. Today, as signs of Spring and Easter grow closer, we are made conscience of the road he carefully paved for us many years ago. His hard work provides us with many choices and opportunities to continue with the work he began.

In addition, just like this mother bird, although she had lost the battle last year, she had found that persistence pays off with something worthwhile. "Rat-tat-tat," Happy Easter and Christ be with you.

Jodie Lynn is an internationally syndicated parenting/family columnist. Her latest book is Mommy-CEO: 5 Golden Rules, 2001 revised edition. Please see www.ParentToParent.com for more details and check out the brand new LOGO (located in the left hand lower corner of the main page) on our Mommy, CEO merchandise: hoodies, caps, calendars, cups, etc.- items for the real CEOs!