01/05/2025
How does a mother eagle choose the father of her eaglets?
She doesn't just pick any suitor. She tests him.
She snaps a branch from a tree, soars high into the sky, and begins to circle.
Male eagles fly around her, eager to impress.
Suddenly, she drops the branch.
The test begins.
One of the males swoops down, catches it mid-air, and gently returns it to her.
She drops it again.
And again.
If he catches it every single time, without fail — only then does she choose him.
Because that male will one day need to catch something far more important — their falling eaglet.
Once they mate, they build a nest on a high cliff from sharp, sturdy sticks.
Then — with their beaks — they pluck feathers from their own bodies to soften the nest.
That’s where the eagle lays her eggs.
When the chicks hatch, the parents shield them with their wings, feed them, bring water, protect them from sun and storm.
The babies grow strong. Their feathers begin to come in. They start to stretch, to balance, to feel the wind.
And then… the lesson begins.
The father starts tearing apart the soft nest.
He shakes it with his wings, rips out the feathers — until only the hard sticks remain.
The once-cozy nest becomes uncomfortable. The eaglets don’t understand.
Why are mom and dad suddenly distant? Why is the food gone?
Then, the mother flies away and lands nearby — with a fresh fish — just out of reach.
She begins to eat it slowly.
The eaglets cry. But no one comes.
And this is when it happens:
They start to move. To crawl. To leave the nest.
One stumbles out, awkward and unsure.
It falls off the cliff.
But before it hits the ground, the father — the one who caught the branch — dives and catches it on his back.
He lifts it high and places it back into the nest.
They repeat this again.
And again.
Until one day, during a fall, the eaglet stretches its wings, catches the air… and flies.
Only then do the parents lead it to the fishing waters.
They no longer feed it.
They show it how to fish.
This is how eagles raise their young.
With tenderness, yes — but also with timing, challenge, and deep, intentional love.
Because the mother chose a father who would never let their young fall.
Because eaglets must learn to fly — not be forever fed.
And maybe… we humans can learn something from the eagle.
About trust. About challenge. About teaching not just to survive, but to soar.
