Our 31 days to the inner rhythm of the heart, the root foundation of a house of peace, is in progress. In the vein of those who are setting a New Year’s intention with “one word”, I offer the word of today to you: eagle. Read on for more…
In my part of the country, there has been much talk, affection and observation of the nesting bald eagle couple at Berry College in Rome, Georgia. Eagles mate for life, and this wonderful eagle pair built a nest at Berry College in 2012. For this nesting season, the couple returned in September of 2013. An egg was laid on January 14, 2014 and eaglet B3 hatched on Saturday, February 22nd. The Nest Cam has had over 7 million views, which is remarkable! If you would like to see streaming video of B3 and his parents, you can see it here: http://www.berry.edu/eaglecam/
I love the little descriptions sometimes provided about the eaglet. On March 10, 2014, it was written, “The eaglet is fine. B3 ate a lot and slept a lot today. It also did some wing flaps and attempted steps around the nest.”
These simple moments in the lives of the eagles remind me that family life does not have to be complicated. Being with children does not have to be complicated. Listen to the small voice you have inside of you. You are the expert on your family. You can do things differently if you feel empowered to do so. It takes some perseverance to change how we communicate, or to go back and work on our own reactions to things, but we can do it.
The eagles return year after year to the same nesting spot and fortify their nests with branches. Eagles’ nests are the largest of any North American bird, with some nests up to 13 feet deep and over 8 feet wide! Just like the eagles, we can think of the strength we can bring to our families and how we build our families when we do the things that we know are right. Loving each other, building strong relationships and caring for one another is always a sign of a strong family. It is a family that does not need yelling or harsh words but instead relies upon love and communication. And in this way, we raise up the next generation to be strong, and to raise our grandchildren in this strong way. The way of peace is full of simple moments and simple choices. Choose love.
Many blessings,
Carrie
The Parenting Passageway 
I am enjoying following these posts, and always find great words for reflection here.
On the topic of Eagles, I thought you may enjoy the eagle cam we have here in the Yukon. The eagle cam will soon relaunch, as we see our eagles thinking about starting another family here, flying, and spending time together, just waiting for slightly warmer weather.
Check back in the upcoming months to see our baldies grow.
http://www.yecleagles.com
Thank you for this inspiring series Carrie. I have glimpsed myself lately, really GETTING that LOVE is the answer, LOVE is the way. And it is profound! But all too quickly, anger returns.
Our sticking point is getting my five and a half year old to tidy up or make amends – especially if she has just purposefully made a mess or hurt her younger sister. She absolutely will not. Even if I wait until everyone is calm again. She utterly refuses restitution. If I really insist, she might go and appear to do tidying but then actually just mess it in a new way! Aaagh!
If I take her and hold her hands to follow through, she becomes hysterical.
Is it just her age? Any ideas on getting them to help make amends would be very gratefully received. Thank you Carrie!
HI Red!
That is difficult. I think in the case of hurting her sister, I would lavish attention and care on the one who is hurt and pretty much ignore the five and a half year old for the time being. I would talk to her about at night before she gets into bed in a gentle way. I would also employ involving her in work after the incident. I would also make a lot of time to connect with her on good terms, having fun, and make sure she gets a lot of energy outside with some children her age every day. If she made a mess on purpose or not, I would say “oh dear” and sing a song and start to clean it up and see if she joins in. If it is something that routinely happens, then I would put those things where they cannot be reached. Many five year olds do make a mess with pretty much anything, but again, I think this comes down to good connection, assuming positive intent as much as possible, recognizing and understanding a five year old’s need to explore and make messes (and how can this happen so it doesn’t drive you crazy? Outside messes are the best!)
A lot of this is age, and this too shall pass. Ho hum, ho hum.
Blessings and love, XXOO
Carrie