Field notes on loving -- Nest building: the scant few bits that bind -- Mourning: when the nest is barren -- Hatchling: tender soul awakening -- Brooding: keeping close watch, savoring all the while -- Tending the clutch: the healing balms of motherhood -- Nestling: at the edge of the nest -- Fledgling: taking flight -- Almost empty nest -- And in the end: the wind beneath my wings

Mahany shares personal love letters on the mysteries and gifts of mothering, interspersed with family recipes and gentle essays, all offering beautiful lessons in how to love, and how to love well. She captures the ephemeral moments of motherhood-- the hard, the glorious, the laughter, and the tears-- and invites readers to pay attention, cradle our loved ones in prayer, and see the sacred lessons in loving