open wide your mouth and it will be filled

an empty nest sits amid branches in the fir tree outside my east-facing window.  empty but for a few fluffing feathers left behind from a successful fledge.

i happened to get to witness the teenage robin being fed by its parent.  flying up and landing next to each other on the roof, the parent brought a small blackberry and dropped it into the youngster's beak.  it repeated this with another berry.  and then a third.  but this time the berry was too big for the young bird and it struggled with the size and then dropped it and flew away.

the parent swooped down, made the berry smaller and brought it back.  not seeing its progeny, it called out with a full beak as if to say "where did you go?" and then flew after the young bird.  

instinctual and yet tender was this display to me.  with our own hungers, i suspect we can trust we will be filled in due time with the right amount.