when your babies grow up and move away

my nest has been empty for awhile now, 
at least of ones I birthed
because when your little ones grow up to be big ones,
and they love the Lord 
and they listen to His voice-
well, 
sometimes that means their family nests are far away 

5 nest in Cincinnati, OH
6 nest in Russell Springs, KY
6 nest in Salekhard, Siberia
5 nest in Russell, KY
3 nest in Evansville, IN
5 nest in Vancouver, WA
I nest in Grayson, KY

This year I have spent an unusual amount of time travelling
by land, by air, whatever it takes to get "there"
I haven't done the math but I may have been out of my nest more than I've been in it
today is another travel day
I'm flying west to see my baby girl and her family
a new place to celebrate Thanksgiving where there are no memories 
yet

sometimes I wonder and ask God "why?"
"Why couldn't at least one of my six live in the same city I live in"
and then I listen
and I see in my mind's eye
the places they live
and the lives they've touched
and the family that is mine because of the people who've become family to them

and I smile
and I thank God
for nests that span this place called earth