Lessons from the Eagle: A Call to Rise Again

The eagle has long been a proud and mighty symbol of this country—a representation of freedom, strength, and resilience. It stands as a reminder of what this nation was built on: the idea that all should have the opportunity to rise, to soar, to be protected under the wings of justice and care.

This year, I watched with great anticipation as a pair of eagles nested and raised their young. The live stream captured something truly beautiful—the unwavering devotion of the parents as they built their home, carefully placing each branch, ensuring a safe and stable foundation. I watched as they hunted, as they fed their fragile young, as they shielded them from the elements with outstretched wings. Every movement, every action was filled with purpose, love, and responsibility.

And it made me think—if a creature of instinct can care so deeply, if an eagle understands the importance of protecting and nurturing its own, why have we, as a people, forgotten?

Our elderly, our veterans, the very ones who built, defended, and upheld this nation, are cast aside. Those who should be honored now struggle to afford food, medicine, and the basic dignity of life. We are a nation that once prided itself on lifting others up, and yet we now turn a blind eye to suffering—walking past those in need as if they are invisible.

Worse still, we have become a people where disagreement is met with hostility, where differences are no longer tolerated but punished. We have abandoned the art of discourse, of understanding. Instead, we meet opposition with persecution, and in the worst cases, with violence. This is not the land of the free—this is a land of fear. And it breaks my heart to see how far we have fallen.

Looking beyond the nation, I see the same failures reflected in the workplace. The demeanor of leadership in this country has bled into every level of our lives. Those in power reward the bullies, the ones who manipulate and crush others to climb higher. Hard workers—the ones who give their all, who dedicate themselves to their craft—are exploited until they have nothing left to give. And when they break, when they can no longer keep up with the impossible demands, they are discarded. Lives are forever changed, not by lack of effort, but by a system that values power over people.

But then, I think back to the eagle.

The eagle does not abandon its own. It does not ignore the weak. It nurtures, it protects, it lifts up those who cannot yet stand on their own. And when the time comes, it teaches them to fly.

This is the lesson we must remember. We must reclaim our humanity, our compassion, our strength—not in the form of power or wealth, but in kindness, in care, in standing up for what is right. We must stop allowing cruelty to reign. We must stop rewarding oppression and start lifting up those who have been forgotten.

We were once a people who stood together, who fought for each other, who believed in the value of every life. We can be that people again. We can rise, not as individuals seeking power, but as a nation that nurtures, that protects, that builds a foundation where all can thrive.

Like the eagle, we can soar again. But first, we must remember how to care.