For anyone who loves the wildlife that graces our local waters, the memory of our 2022 swan family carries a deep, lingering ache. As a photographer, I spent hours capturing their tragically short journey. My camera lens didn’t just document their lives; it bound my heart to them. When their story ended in heartbreak, it left a wound that made me deeply hesitant to open my heart to the river’s swans again.
So, when a friend messaged me with the news—”There is a nest, and hatch day has started”—my immediate, visceral reaction wasn’t excitement. It was tears. The shadow of past grief loomed large. I wasn’t sure I was ready to face the vulnerability of a new hatch day.
But this morning, I summoned the courage to walk down to the Charles River Esplanade, right by the Dartmouth Street overpass. I went to meet the new swan couple and their four beautiful, freshly hatched cygnets.
In the Jewish tradition, there is a beautiful practice of reciting a blessing upon witnessing an exceptionally magnificent wonder of nature or a beautiful animal. It is a way of pausing, recognizing a moment of pure creation, and offering gratitude. That was my mission: to bless this new family and wish them a safe, long life on our waters.
Standing quietly behind the reeds, watching the parents tenderly guard their soft, grey chicks, the anxiety melted away. In its place came pure joy. Witnessing these tiny new lives step into the world filled my heart, starting a process of repair. This morning wasn’t about forgetting the past—it was about honoring the memory of the family we lost by welcoming, protecting, and celebrating the fragile, beautiful new generation before us.
If you walk down to the Esplanade to welcome them, please remember how vulnerable this new family is. I ask our community to be mindful and deeply respectful—keep a safe distance, keep dogs on leashes, and ensure we do not stress the parents or their babies. Let’s work together to give them the peaceful environment they deserve.
To see more photos and follow the journey of our local wildlife, visit my blog, River Echoes, on Blogspot
Phoebe Wing Swan is a Boston-based photographer, multi-disciplinary collage artist, and nature chronicler behind the blog River Echoes. Known creatively as an “Attitude Architect,” her signature philosophy is: “Where photography meets art, art becomes fashion.” Emerging from a creative hiatus, her work has been featured by the West End Museum, including her 2024 canvas-collaged installation, “What The West End Means to Me,” and her recent mixed-media exhibition, “Trees on Thoreau,” which debuted the metal print “Night & Day on Thoreau” alongside a digital music composition: Trees Rise Up featured on her YouTube channel. Her wearable fine art line can be explored through the Phoebe Wing Swan Atelier on Le Galeriste.