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She had a dusty grey crown, brown and black feathers, a puffed tan chest, and old wise eyes.

I almost skimmed right passed her at the South Carolina Aquarium. She was perched on a piece of wood, seemingly thinking.

I got right up close to her and was struck by her deep features. She seemed to be pondering something and had a strong goodness about her. The bird’s name was Phoenix, and because she had tried to rest on a poorly insulated electrical line, she lost many of her toes and talons and became unfit for the wild.

I shouldn’t say that. Her physical body made it impossible for her to survive out in the open, but I’m sure her heart still longs to soar in freedom.

There was a kind of sweet ache in her eyes, yet contentment. 

That sounds like a good way to go about life to me. I think it’s okay to have longings that run right alongside satisfaction. 

She was an American Kestrel, which is a small type of falcon. This means that she was a fierce predator before landing on all that raging power. Now, she sits and allows passersby to learn from the grace in her gaze. I hate what happened to her, but she’s now a living picture in my mind’s eye of what pinings and peace can look like in the same head.

Just a few exhibits away my youngest spotted an eagle. I could tell before approaching that it could no longer fly. Her name was Liberty and she had been injured many years ago in Naples.

She kept looking up. She could see into another area and was watching something quite closely. The exhibit’s attendant shared that Liberty was looking into the netted but airy exhibit that she sleeps in at night. She could see that construction workers were doing something to her space that day, and she was keeping a real eagle eye on it. This both tickled and taught me.

She was checking it out. Just like a woman would.

We should be the watchwomen, the tower soldiers, the eagle eyes of our abodes and spheres. Not to selfishly and obsessively and fearfully keep claim to our territories, but to protect and serve and ready the territories we’ve been commissioned with.

Ladies on the lookout are the best leaders, nurturers, keepers.

Ah, little life lessons that make big differences can be found everywhere, eh? I found a few in Charleston this past week and I’m glad for it.

 

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