The Robin Report–Hope and Beauty and Miracles

My sister, Marlise and I love getting the Robin Report every day.

What is the Robin Report?

A few weeks ago, my other sister, Maria, called us, breathless with excitement. “A Robin is building a nest on the wreath on my front door!”

“Really? On your front door?”

“YES!”

And she texted us photos.

Now, normally, Maria’s front door would have been too busy for a nest, opening and shutting nonstop with her children and grandchildren and deliveries, but right now, the door is still. It has become the perfect place to build a nest.

Maria constantly travels around the world for work, and usually her voice sounds a lot like Rabbit from the Hundred Acre Wood. She is constantly scurrying about, talking about all the things she needs to do.

But now, during quarantine, she’s home, and her life has become still and quiet. Before the Robin, Maria was was sounding more and more like Eeyore, her head hanging low as she contemplated everything going wrong.

But then the Robin arrived, and her entire voice changed to delight, like Pooh Bear when he suddenly stumbles upon a jar of honey.

“I can’t believe what this bird is doing! She’s bringing twigs and leaves and mud to make her nest soft for her babies! It’s amazing!”

“She laid an egg! There’s a bright blue egg in the nest! She sits on the nest for hours! I can’t believe how all mothers are the same. It’s amazing!”

“Oh my gosh! She laid another egg! Now there are two! Now there are three. OH MY GOSH! THERE ARE NOW FOUR!”

“I want to buy yellow caution tape and tape off the walkway to my front door so no one disturbs her! I can’t believe it! I’m so enthralled! She chose MY DOOR!”

“You should see her! You can see her little head and tail sticking up out of the nest as she sits on them. There will be babies soon!”

Now, listening to Maria, one would think she had never seen a nest or eggs or even a bird before. This is not news—birds and all animals have been building nests and having babies since time began, but Maria’s in awe. She actually did buy tape and tape off her walkway to protect the nest.

And if you really think about it, the entire process of these beautiful jewel-toned eggs, warmed by their mother, waiting to be cracked open so new life can emerge, is pretty miraculous, filled with hope, and happening all over right now, during spring, and maybe even happening all over right now during quarantine. As we all become quiet, staying in our nests, maybe new life is emerging that we can’t see yet, but we can feel it as we delight in the every day miracles happening all around us.

Or maybe my sister is losing it and going to start wearing nests in her hair, but that’s not losing it according to my rules, as I have more than one hat in the shape of a nest with a bird sitting on it.

So maybe she’s going a little cuckoo and will start buying cribs and bottles for the new babies, but then again, that’s not too crazy either, as my little sister, Marlise, actually did make a bottle and feed a baby hummingbird that had fallen out of its nest.

So I guess in the end, we all have that mothering instinct to protect and nurture, AND we are a little crazy. All I know if the Robin’s Report lights up our quarantine days, and we will most likely emerge from this pandemic wearing nests on our heads. Nothing wrong with that.