While gathering bivalves for supper, my friend *Chad observed
something unusual and poignant which he later related to me. He told me of spotting a bald eagle high in
the tree branches above. This eagle would find a dead branch, hop onto it, and
then shuffle sideways along it until his weight broke the branch.
Once broken, the branch and the eagle would immediately
begin a rapid descent towards the ground. Almost too quickly for the human eye
to detect, the eagle would then grasp the broken branch, flap his wings with
all of his might, and carry the branch high into the air to the site of his
broken nest. Upon reaching his
destination, the eagle would carefully place the branch into the damaged
sections, effectively repairing his home.
The eagle repeated this process many times, and with many
large branches. One was more than 20 feet long, causing him to have to fly in
circles as he rose with it, in order to gain enough altitude.
Chad and I reflected upon the lessons the eagle taught that day. The actions of the
eagle clearly illustrated that from death and ruins we may still build
something sturdy and lovely. He also taught the concept of love for family.
Ensuring the safety of his family was so important to him, he was willing to
risk his very life to do so.
In the process all of his flapping and flying, a feather
from the eagle dropped right at Chad’s
feet. He collected it, and then gave it to me as a tribute to how he believes I
have lived the lessons of the eagle in my own life. I keep the feather where I may see it, always.
*Name changed
