NEST

There is a scene in Spielberg’s E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL that struck a chord with me in a way I hadn’t expected.

E.T. is sick. Elliot is sick. The entire house has been wallpapered in white plastic by haz-mat-men. Older brother Michael can’t believe what is happening to his family...to his brother.

Michael retreats to the quiet solitude of his little sister’s closet—a nest of stuffed animals, books, games, soft blankets and pillows. It’s just like the secret place most of us had as kids. Quiet, secluded, safe. Michael nestles into this place he has long outgrown, and sleeps.

Children find nooks and crannies when they need somewhere to recover a sense of serenity...safety. Childhood can be a very dark and scary place. Especially when the world around you insists that you look and act grown up.

Sometimes you just need the nest.