Chapter 19 - The Eagle

June 1, 2026

There is a long-running observation that if you go somewhere without a camera, you will immediately see something that makes you regret the decision.

I went out for Vitamin N—the nature vitamin—and decided not to bring my good camera.

Then, in a moment of not thinking, I left my phone at home too.

I reached one of my favourite trails beside a local creek and immediately saw a bald eagle being chased by a red-winged blackbird.

The eagle behaved as though the angry little bird did not exist.

It continued soaring, catching thermals, and gaining altitude with almost no visible effort.

Eventually, the eagle rose higher than the smaller bird was willing to go.

The annoyance disappeared.

The thermals remained.

It was a good metaphor.

Do not spend all the day’s energy on annoyances.

Seek the forces that lift you above them.

Each morning, I received a fresh bucket of energy, but the amount was limited. If I spent that energy worrying about things I could not control, less remained for healing, relationships, creativity, and life.

The eagle preached a sermon without saying a word.

Isaiah’s promise of renewed strength felt less like flapping harder and more like receiving lift.

Grace was the thermal I did not create but could choose to ride.