Motherhood is fleeting.

It’s exhausting, rewarding, and filled with many moments of pride. From the moment little ones are welcomed into the world and take their first breaths, we are there with them every step of the way. We nuzzle them. Take them under our wings. Feed them and nourish them. We teach them to explore, how to be brave and make life-long friends. Some days we go on adventures to new places and we always remember to tuck them in at night. We give them baths and teach them to bathe on their own. We straighten them out when they are out of line. We love them even through their awkward “teenage” years and watch them grow into mature young adults. Soon enough, we’ve done our job and it’s time to let them flee the nest to make a life of their own, carrying so many lessons we have shared with them along the way.

There are so many similarities that I find between myself and a brooding mother hen. Sometimes, I think my time with my children under my roof is half over. I’ve blinked my eyes and they have grown like weeds reaching toward the sun.

I sit and watch the broody hen with her babies. I think about how her motherhood is wrapped up into a six week period. Perhaps this is the reason why they can have clutches after clutches over the years. It must be hard to savor one of the best jobs in the world over the course of a few weeks.

Photo Credit: Tilly’s Nest