Last evening Mama Mourning Dove started her second spring family as I observed from my kitchen window where I was sitting having tea. She was a vision of shuddering and quivering for what seemed like long periods with brief rest periods in between. Now the two "real easter eggs" call my large blue mint pot their home.
I have learned a lot about Mourning Doves recently... They are monogamous creatures as are most humans. They mate for life and are devoted parents. They feed their young milk (though a different kind of milk) for the first few days of their lives as humans do. They provide shelter and raise a family with whatever means they can. As people do, they care, provide for, and protect their young to help them prepare for a life beyond the nest. It is a story of devotion, a story of peace in an uncertain landscape. The story of these little doves too is not unlike the story that children deal with every day. A story of making one's way in a world that can offer harshness, but also a story of peace and love. A story of devotion to partner. A story of love for one's offspring. A tragic story of love and life lost. (7-8 mourning doves do not survive their first few weeks due to predators and unfavorable nesting locations.) A story of grief, sadness and sorrow, but also one of new life and rebirth. A story of grief and mourning loss. A story of gentleness.
