Grace + Power: Learning from the Natural Kingdom

I had been brooding on the need to quietly observe nature, and the unfortunate situations in which that’s not always possible — especially when our visiting seasonal hordes treat the sanctuaries like amusement parks. But rather than wallow in the circumstance, I tried to focus on those gentle souls who lovingly respect and appreciate the natural areas as much as we do. We recently stumbled upon a spectacular raptor, an adult Cooper’s Hawk, hunting with the approaching dusk (stalking songbirds, most likely). Such grace and power seems to exist so easily in the natural (WILD) kingdom, but rarely in the human world. There have been plenty of difficult times previous to ours, with misrepresentation and squandering of power; ours is simply a new iteration of a very old story. In quietly observing the power and grace of the natural kingdom, one can strive for such a beautiful balance, regardless of anything else. For our human selves, it’s a lesson in being brave and graceful; kind and strong — and showing empathy without yielding to displays of weakness.

Cooper’s Hawk Waiting for Dinner