“A bird sitting on a tree is never afraid of the branch breaking, because its trust is not on the branch, but on its own wings.”–Charles Wardle
Frequent Encounters 👀
Lately, it seems I am regularly noticing red-tail hawks. Sometimes I spy a hawk during my runs or walks, and other times, I will notice one while I am driving. I often see one perched on a pole or electric line. The neck tilts and turns this way and that as they take in the area, 180 degrees at a time, under their watchful eyes.
Other times, I am able to observe the flick of a hawk’s red tail as it lifts into flight with an expansive, majestic wing span. It will circle and soar on air currents, rising high as it gains a new perspective on the landscape below. Occasionally, I have the opportunity to watch one, with graceful power, dive, and in one fell swoop, swiftly scoop up its prey.
Hawk-eyed facts 📝
Seeing hawks never fails to fill me with delight, no matter how frequently I catch a glimpse of one. I often joke that the hawk is my “spirit animal,” my guide to admirable qualities. After all, hawks have excellent vision. They can see five to eight times better than most humans. Therefore, when they are sailing on the ocean of air currents, their accurate vision enables them to see the bigger picture.
In addition to their clear-eyed view, a red-tailed hawk can dive at speeds of up to 120 mph. Combine a hawk’s speed with its visual acuity, a prey stands very little chance of escape. Thus, a hawk has the ability to clearly see its goal and attain it.
Hawks are known for their ability to hunt and capture prey that can weigh as much as the hawk itself, anywhere from two to four pounds. That’s a strong lift, especially once in flight. However, hawks mostly focus on small rodents, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and even insects. This means the hawk is realistic about the load it can carry.
The wingspan of an adult hawk is over four feet wide because hawks are meant to soar. In the book of Job, the 26th verse of chapter 39 reads, “Does the hawk take flight by your wisdom and spread its wings towards the south?” And, while this is a conversation between God and Job, it does seem to emphasize, to my untrained eyes, that there are times, when, like a hawk, we, too, have been gifted with the ability to spread our wings widely and leave an area/situation that no longer supports us.
Red-tailed hawks mate for life. They build their nests together–each one gathering leafy branches and sticks. When it comes to having babies, they likewise co-parent. Typically, the female will sit and incubate the eggs, while the male hunts and brings back food to her. Once the chicks hatch, the male continues to hunt and bring back food to the female. In turn, she will then distribute the food in small pieces among the babies. In this way, hawks demonstrate the importance of dividing and sharing the load with one another.
Lessons of the Hawk
Throughout the local area, students, teachers, administrators, and staff are returning, or will soon be returning, to school. Shelves of school supplies at popular stores have been wiped clean of their wares, and first day outfits or uniforms have been selected with care for annual back-to-school photos. All the while parents marvel at the rate at which their kids are growing as students–and teachers–wonder where summer went.
With the ringing of the school bells, it is worth remembering the lessons provided by the red-tailed hawk whether a parent, student, educator, or simply interested in supporting those in education.
Focus on Big picture 🔎
First, may we remember to focus on the bigger picture. It is so easy, and even tempting, to get wrapped up in the minutiae of daily dramas. Instead, let us be reminded of the hawk and soar above all of the little irritants that don’t add up to much of anything, and instead focus on the goal: education, growth, improvement, and so forth
Clear goals 🎯
Along those same lines, by focusing on the bigger picture, let us be hawk-like and develop clear goals/intentions for the school year–tangible and measurable targets for success. By keeping a clear vision of these goals, students, parents, and teachers alike can adapt and adjust accordingly as we work towards them. It’s easy to get side-tracked, and it’s sometimes tempting to waiver or become distracted by some flash-in-the-pan idea. However, by continuously circling back to the actual long-term goals, we can keep our aim true.
Avoid overcommitting 😮
While all those target goals are important, it’s important to be realistic about the load we can carry. Just as the hawk can only hunt and capture predators weighing no more than it does, we too must be careful not to bite off more than we can chew. Over-volunteering or overcommitting to too many teams/committees/clubs/events can weigh down students, educators, and parents alike. Just because we can do something, doesn’t mean we should do it all. Instead, it is more important to focus on what you love, what will stretch you best, and/or will leave time for recovery and rest in order to put our best foot forward.
Divide and Conquer ➗
One way to do this is to remember to divide and share the load. Students can benefit from helping one another or working with a tutor. Parents can divide and share the responsibilities of their kids’ school activities, sports, and all the home/care responsibilities that go with that. Educators can likewise collaborate with one another and make use of resources designed to support learning. We all benefit from helping each other make a school year successful.
Change can be Good 👍
However, it is important for us to recognize when we have bitten off more than we can chew. Burn-out for students, parents, and teachers is a very real thing and must be guarded against. Therefore, learn to identify and recognize those times when you need to spread your wings and leave or change a situation.
May this school year be the year of the red-tail hawk. May students, parents, educators, coaches, and anyone else involved have hawk-like vision and acuity. May wings spread on the currents of hope, compassion, empathy, and knowledge. May our aim be true, and may educational communities around the globe support and help one another in a spirit of kinship and joy. Most of all, may we nourish our students with small bites of knowledge and success, so that they may ultimately one day, independently soar on their own air currents of success, however they define it.
Ready for the new school year!
Steph Simply 