When we were walking our dogs last night, we noticed that our neighbors were walking their dog on the opposite side of the street. The neighbors were staring up at something perched in the branches of the tallest tree, by the sidewalk. The “something” that had our neighbors mesmerized, was an incredibly beautiful, majestic, large and regal hawk. We are fortunate enough to share our neighborhood with more than a few of these incredible birds.
“Isn’t it gorgeous?!” We yelled over to our neighbors, as they took several pictures of the hawk. No matter how many hawks you see, you never lose the desire to stop and to stare at them. They are mesmerizing members of the raptor realm.
“Yes. She was just being harassed by a bunch of mockingbirds,” our neighbor told us. Apparently this is a relatively common phenomenon. Mockingbirds, and other smaller birds often use “mob mentality” in order to try to harass and to scare the larger predator birds away from their nests and their own self-proclaimed territories.
The neighbors and my husband and I all laughed at the audacity of the mockingbirds. This incredibly striking and magisterial hawk could have easily taken out, one or more of the mockingbirds, in just one easy swoop, or by one swift swipe of her sharp talon. She could have chosen to do this, if for nothing else, than to make an example to the rest of the birds, that they had best quiet down, and respect her stealth capabilities and power.
But the hawk didn’t do anything. She didn’t feel the need to prove anything. The magnificent, confident hawk did not seem the least bit concerned about the noisy, angry mockingbirds. The hawk stayed in her calm, regal, elegant pose, and nonchalantly let all of us snap pictures of her, as we basked in her utterly staggering and awe-striking presence.
The hawk knew who she was, and she understood the force of her own presence. She calmly and serenely stood her ground. She didn’t let herself be bothered by the noisy chatter, coming from the flock of intimidated, and puffed-up mockingbirds. Hawks are wise and brilliant creatures. They carefully conserve their energy, only to extend this energy on the things that truly matter to their living experiences. Giving attention to a bunch of defensive, chattering, angry birds simply wasn’t worth it, to the intelligent, focused, dignified hawk. Her feathers remained unruffled.
Are you passing on love or are you passing on pain? Heal your pain and pass on love.