When I was in fourth grade, I learned the different national symbols of the Philippines: mango for fruits; narra for trees; Dr. Jose P. Rizal for heroes; carabao or water buffalo for land animals, etcetera.

As a child, I used to wonder how on earth they were chosen as the national representatives.
Then I learned one thing that satisfied me: the eagle is the Philippine national bird.

I delighted in this fact for I have always admired eagles. They are beautiful creatures.
What do eagles have that amaze us so much?

Definitely, we have high regard for their   characteristics: superior size, broad wings, fast flight, and extremely keen eyesight.
But of all those characteristics, what amazes me most is their “rearing” system.

This was shared to me by an eagle fanatic friend: An adult eagle takes time and hard work in teaching its baby eagle the basics of life and how to fly. The first stages of the flight lessons would include the mother flying low, clutching her baby beneath her to let the baby feel how it is up there. After the low flight, the mother would then fly higher. The next lessons after this “sightseeing lesson” come in a series of “practicum.” Mother eagle flies low then slowly lets go of her feet or talon clutching the baby eagle. Unconsciously, the baby eagle is flying all by itself, feeling the strong force of the wind and enjoying it. And when it notices that it’s not being held, it scampers and starts to fall, crying for its mother’s help. Then the mother would come rushing, lovingly embracing her eaglet, proud that she has passed another test. Again and again, they would fly together, until such time that the baby eagle doesn’t need her mother’s powerful talons anymore.

The baby eagle would feel proud as she    enjoys her independence from her mother. She tries to fly farther and higher. She would start to fall. She would look for her mother, crying for help. Then her mother would come, rescuing her. Unknown to her, her mother had been there, behind the clouds, watching over her.

The training would go on.

I was amazed after my friend described how eagles rear their babies. And then it struck me: We are like eagles. I am an eagle.

I am now in the stage where the mother eagle now starts to let go of her eaglet. The eaglet would start to soar on its wings on its own.

The eaglet feels thankful to the ones that helped her learn how to fly: her brother and sister eagles who, in spite of their competition for their mother’s attention when they were newly hatched, helped her learn how to scratch for food in the wilderness (school); the trees for being her friends and protectors when enemies attack; the other older eagles whom she looked up to as models and inspirations to fly high (teachers); and of course, the Wind, who served as her Life and Guide whenever she encounters dark clouds and heavy rains.