Tuesday, March 30, 2010

The Life of an Eagle


THE EAGLE

The eagle has the longest life-span of it’s' species.  It can live up to 70 years.  But to reach this age, the eagle must make a hard decision in it’s' 40's.  Its' long and flexible talons can no longer grab prey which serves as food.  Its' long and sharp beak becomes bent.  Its' old-aged and heavy wings, due to their thick feathers, become stuck to its' chest and make it difficult to fly.

Then, the eagle is left with only two options: die or go through a painful process of CHANGE, which lasts 150 days.  The process requires that the eagle fly to a mountain top and sit on its' nest.  There the eagle knocks it's beak against a rock until it falls out.  After plucking it out, the eagle will wait for a new beak to grow back and then it will pluck out its' talons.  When its new talons grow back, the eagle starts plucking its' old-aged feathers out.  And after five months, the eagle takes its famous flight of rebirth and lives for ...30 more years.

THE BUZZARD

If you put a buzzard in a pen that is 6 feet by 8 feet and is entirely open at the top, the bird, in spite of its ability to fly, will be an absolute prisoner. The reason is that a buzzard always begins a flight from the ground with a run of 10 to 12 feet. Without space to run, as is its habit, it will not even attempt to fly, but will remain a prisoner for life in a small jail with no top.

THE BAT:

The ordinary bat that flies around at night, a remarkable nimble creature in the air, cannot take off from a level place.  If it is placed on the floor or flat ground, all it can do is shuffle about helplessly and, no doubt, painfully, until it reaches some slight elevation from which it can throw itself into the air. Then, at once, it takes off like a flash.

THE BUMBLEBEE:

A bumblebee, if dropped into an open tumbler, will be there until it dies, unless it is taken out.  It never sees the means of escape at the top, but persists in trying to find some way out through the sides near the bottom..  It will seek a way where none exists, until it completely destroys itself.

PEOPLE:

In many ways, we are like the buzzard, the bat, and the bumblebee. We struggle about with all our problems and frustrations, never realizing that all we have to do is look up!  That's the answer, the escape route and the solution to any problem!  Just look up.

Sorrow looks back, Worry looks around, but faith looks up!

 Live simply, love generously, care deeply, speak kindly.