*I posted this on the Eagle Eye to the World blog for our global project, but felt it should be shared here as well
Liberty and Justice have lost an egg.
I am like many others that I don’t want to hear “Well, it is just nature taking its course.”
I know this is nature. I know these are eagles and we are watching reality television without a script or prompts. I know this is an animal. However, some of us have watched Liberty and Justice for years.
They are more than just “eagles”. They are animals that remind us of the joys of life. They struggled through the snow, wind, temperatures, and just plain survival. Through the camera we are able to watch, study, connect, and learn.
When I started this global project I knew the risk that things would not always turn out beautiful and perfect. You go into these things hoping for the best. You watch the beauty and majestic wonders of bald eagles.
We are able to connect with people from all over the world to share our concerns, our stresses, and joys when they hatch, develop, and grow into adulthood. Along the way friendships are formed, recipes shared, and life stories begin to unfold.
When it comes to the global education project students connect from all over the world to study eagles, but more importantly learn 21st century skills as well as knock down the four cement walls of their classroom to learn from amazing students educators located hundred to thousands of miles away.
Today we are hit with hardship of one egg being lost.
As we watched the parents work to hope that it was not true they still sat on the egg, rolled it, and in some ways were in denial of the truth. Finally, they have come to accept the fate of the egg.
What is weird is that I was crafting a completely different type of blog post when I heard the news. It has been a while since I posted due to a crazy schedule. I was tweaking a podcast as well to post today, but neither one really seems right to post. Today we are hit with the realities of life.
I look at this moment as a learning opportunity. Life is not perfect. Life is not fair. If everything was easy and perfect, then we would never realize what joy would really feel like. The upside is that we have one egg. We have two eagles that know how to survive through the rough conditions. They have had great success in the long-term. It reminds me that we must always work hard and not settle. We never know when our time is up nor do we know the outcomes. What we can control is how we deal with adversity. I am reading some books that really connect with this mindset as I write this that are clicking together right now. The Champion’s Mind and The Art of Learning. Reading these, dealing with the egg, and watching our high school basketball team fall short of a dream of theirs reminds me that through loss we can learn so much.
As we continue to watch the camera we will see two eagles stay the course, work hard to protect the other egg, and not give up. They won’t throw in the towel. They won’t fly away to warmer conditions. They won’t just call it quits. They will stay in the nest along with the cold, wind, and terrible conditions winter has brought. They will give all they have to ensure the egg has what it deserves to hatch. Will it hatch? There is no guarantee, but without hard work and determination all hope is lost.
Take this to reflect on your own life. Don’t give up. Stay strong when life throws you curveballs. Through it all there is always a light at the end of the tunnel. In a few short weeks I hope that light is an eaglet ready to enter this world!
As we have young students watching please let me know what questions or thoughts that you have. I am sure this won’t be easy for some of our young classrooms to understand or make sense of. The power of the community is what will help turn this into a great learning opportunity.
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