Before our son left for baseball this morning, a huge hawk landed on the fence (his high school mascot is a Hawk). She sat there calmly as hawks do waiting motionless for a squirrel or maybe the rasckly rabbit that uses our yard as a port-a-potty. I turned away for a second and she was gone. Off to hunt or build or perch.
I thought back to an early summer morning at the ball field where I watched a hawk skillfully carry a large stick to the tippy top of one of the tall baseball lights surrounding the baseball facility. She and Mr. Hawk were building their nest stick by stick carrying pine needles, pieces of bark, and twigs crafting a wide home with an amazing bird’s eye view (pun intended) of four different baseball fields. For the next hour, I watched them work tirelessly as parents do to set up a safe, sturdy home. Apparently, hawks are big fans of fixer upers so it may be that they refurbished the nest – ah…very green, forward thinkers.
I read that once the hatchlings are ready to leave, the whole family picks up and abandons the nest. Wow – I thought – our nest is nearly empty, but given the cost of housing right now, we may not vacate our little home right away. Luckily our brood knows how to find their way back home and to the laundry room. One of Dexter’s favorite facts to proclaim when he comes home is “I’m just a guest!” This is his lame attempt at weaseling his way out of clearing the dish rack or helping with dinner. None of us fall for it.
What does it mean if I see a hawk?
The symbolism of the hawk is vast. Some view the hawk as a symbol of strength and protection. Other theories say seeing a hawk can be a sign from the universe that it’s time for you to grow spiritually, and intellectually and seek your true potential. They can inspire and guide you in decision-making and keep you poised and focused in the process.
I’m going to say it’s like having a bunch of 3-pound, striped-bellied, red-tailed life coaches waiting to help us along our journey. Maybe give us a little nudge towards hope. Let’s be clear, hawks can’t necessarily help you decide whether you should make pasta or use DoorDash for dinner and they won’t guide you to buying Bitcoin or push you into an IRA. They can, however, be a source of connection and joy.
There is a beautiful story in The Catholic Reporter about two brothers who spent hours discussing hawks and love and the soul.
“Raptor guys” they called themselves (sounds like superhero brothers fighting crime).
Turns out, they are all-knowing “Birders” who found joy, solace, and brotherhood in the osprey, Cooper Hawk, and the Red-tailed…they knew them all. They discussed them all. They delighted in them all…up until their last moments together and beyond.
In the article, one brother says:
“We talked about owls and osprey and eagles and kites and falcons and other raptors, too. But mostly we talked about hawks because we knew hawks and saw hawks every day and had always both been addled and thrilled by hawks and we always would be, even after one of us was ashes in a stone box under an oak tree.”
Hawks. Such a miraculous and healing bird. (Go Hawks!)
Thanks for joining me,
~Lucretia
Word of the day:
Addled: adjective- unable to think clearly; confused
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