Mourning Doves

"I stopped at one of the mature manzana trees and looked up into her branches where a pair of mourning doves had made a nest early that primavera. Mamá and I saw them one day on the way back from them main casa. Both doves took turns protecting the eggs; the male hunted while the female sat and then they switched—a balanced nest ritual. Mamá and I sat and watched the pair for hours one Sunday afternoon. It was our church after church.

A couple of weeks after we spotted them for the first time, we saw two little bald heads peeking over the side of the nest. The eggs had hatched. The adults gave birth to their brood and continued their balanced nest rituals. Nature has so much to teach, if we pay attention. Nature is a messenger too if we are open to it.

Mamá told me that the mourning dove carries grief for those who cannot bear it themselves. It’s why their coo is so heartfelt. It is their song. But now they were gone. Who would help carry the grief now? Both Mamá and I felt the coo of the mourning doves deep within ourselves. At one time it was soothing to me, but now it felt haunting. Funny how perception changes with circumstance and life experience."

-Indigena: A Novel Celebrating the Spirit of Cinco De Mayo

♥ HER

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