Technology has afforded us access to so much information. Maybe too much. But it has also allowed us to engage with people, places and things we might not otherwise be able to. It can also serve as powerful way to bring us closer to nature which seems like a contradiction. Millions of people around the world, transfixed to their computers, watch the intimate lives of animals on streaming wildlife webcams.
For several years now I have followed the Hays Eagle Cam* where the life cycle of eagles plays out in real time right before our eyes. A community of like minded voyeurs chat about the trials, tribulations, and celebrations of this handsome eagle pair. We’ve watched eggs hatch, freeze, predators threaten and the tree that housed the nest fall over in a storm. Some of it exhilarating, some heartbreaking, like a mirror of our human experiences. Except the eagles aren’t thinking and fretting about it, they are just instinctively following nature’s path.
There is much to learn from these Eagles, especially in terms of family and child rearing.
Eagles mate for life and share parenting responsibilities. In a beautifully choreographed dance they take their turns building their nest, sourcing food, sitting on eggs and protecting their offspring. They have only 1 goal - to create eaglets, raise them and send them off. Instinctively they know exactly what to do. As the eaglets grow and become curious, the parents perch out of sight ready to soar in to protect, feed, or warm them if necessary. Otherwise they let them develop naturally without much intervention. Over a mere couple of months the odd looking little peeps grow, compete with their siblings for food and stretch their little wings. After a few days of clumsy wing flapping they leave the nest for a test flight and within days they’re gone. There may be an occasional sighting nearby for the next few weeks but once the fledge they’re gone and the parents start to fix up the nest for the next season of egg laying.
If only it were so easy for us humans. My eaglets have fledged far away and are soaring but I struggle more than eagle mom. It’s not as easy for us to detach. Our human minds continue to think about the hopes, dreams, and challenges our offspring may face. Even when they’re flying out of sight we feel connected. Our ability to experience a full range of emotions, especially love, separates us from our avian symbol of freedom, but I would never give that up to soar the skies. When we sit quietly with ourselves and listen closely we can tap some of our primal instinctual wisdom and have the best of both worlds.
* Yesterday the 2nd egg of 2019 hatched. Happy Birthday H10!
