I think the theme is the importance of listening to your parents. When Randall went on his first solo hike he instantly regretted not paying attention when "his father taught the family to read the position of the sun" and "forgetting the whistle his mother stressed he always bring." Randall suffers the consequences of his disobedience as he struggles to find his way back to his parents. He was frightened, alone, and lost. Randall nearly gave up but thankfully he remembered one tip his father had told him: "If you're ever lost, find a river and follow it." This proves that even the slightest bit of advice from our parents could help us eventually. He utilizes his father's tip and finds himself at a river bank. His hope is restored when he noticed the eagle that rose from the water is the same one that is nested above his camp. Randall follows the eagle and finally returns back to his parents. Without his father's tip he had remembered Randall would've been lost for a while. Sometimes disregarding our parents words can lead to a similar situation such as Randall's. Our parents have plenty of knowledge in different aspects of life and "The Nest" is an excellent example of what could transpire when we disobey our parents.
