I witnessed a bald eagle teaching an eaglet to fly yesterday. They were perched way up at the top of a pine tree, and the daddy would fly off and return to coax junior to try it. Several times the little bird started flapping but just as it looked like he was ready, he would "chicken" out.
But daddy bird kept working on him and finally, he launched. At first he was slowly losing altitude but then, he got his air wings and was off. The two birds circled around the area for awhile and then were gone..
What a joy to watch nature (a living evidence of the existence of God) in action.
It also reminded me of how devoted the parent bird is to his young until he is ready to fly away. Then, daddy bird helps him find his way out the door.
It makes me realize how much we humans could learn from this. Devotion to our children when young and good training also prepares them to "fly the nest". So many of our children grow up unprepared for life and ill informed that they instead never want to leave the nest. How sad!