March 1, 2024
Have you been following Jackie and Shadow, the two bald eagles who live in Big Bear Valley Wilderness area in southeastern California? Jackie and Shadow are a bald eagle pair who have been together for a number of years. About nine years ago, the Forest Service set up a live cam to watch their nest, and since that time the pair have hatched five eaglets. This year Jackie laid three eggs and the pair has gained quite a following as they incubate their eggs and wait to become parents.
We are so lucky in Minnesota to see eagles on a regular basis. Living about a mile or so from the Mississippi River, I see them flying around at least weekly and they never fail to inspire awe with their majesty and elegance as they soar and dive on the wind currents. In some traditions, a bald eagle sighting is a sign of protection from an ancestor who has gone on to greater glory, and it always warms my heart to take them as such.
Peaking in on Jackie and Shadow now and then on the live cam has given me a different perspective on bald eagles; a chance to see the sweet, softer side of them. Jackie and Shadow take turns sitting on the eggs and trade turns flying off for food and maybe just a break. Each time Shadow comes back, he brings another stick or twig to strengthen the nest. Each time Jackie comes back, she fusses over the eggs again, making sure Shadow has done his job well. The pair communicate with one another through sound and touch. They seem quite in tune with one another's needs and wants, and very willing to share the duties of becoming parents.
Getting to know Jackie and Shadow just a bit in this way has made me marvel at their simple beauty. Jackie and Shadow aren't doing anything special to gain a following or to make people like them; they just exist. And existing is enough; people see their majesty, their strength, their love and commitment, and it feels holy. It feels sacred.
If you want to peak in on Jackie and Shadow you can click here, and this is just the right time: the hatching should be soon. My prayers for you this week are to find holiness in simple beauty, to remember that there is almost always a softer side to most people and most situations, and for you to know that you do not need to be anything other than who you are to be loved. You are loved because you are.