Six Sentence Story: Nest

Photo: Five children look over a fence at the zoo to see the rhinos

Thanks to the miracles of birth and adoption, the children came quickly--five within an eight-year span--and twenty-eight years after the first arrived, the last launched. Those almost-three decades, which simultaneously passed by slowly and all-too-quickly,  provided plenty of on-the-job opportunities to develop skills in  teaching, nursing, child psychology, culinary arts, taxi-driving . . . in short, parenting. Just like that, it was over--not her role as mother, that would be forever--but the little moments like kissing boo-boos better, snuggling during bedtime stories, listening to budding musicians practice their instruments, and visiting parks each week during the summers. As wonderful as those moments were, though, and as easy as nostalgia could come, the empty-nest was always the goal: raising children to become independent, confident, happy adults. They are soaring on their own. The parents can relax a bit and fly, too. 
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This week's prompt for the Six Sentence Story is nest. I feel like my story needs a disclaimer: some things are beyond anyone's control, situations are different, and this story gives just a tiny slice of my experience.