An Eagle’s Advice to a Mother on Raising Her Child
An eagle once offered advice to a woman about the best way to raise her children.
“Are you alright, human mother?” the eagle asked.
The woman, startled, stared at the bird.
“I’m afraid. My child is about to be born and I have so many doubts. I want to give him the best life possible—I want it to be easy and beautiful. But how will I know if I’m raising him right?”
The eagle looked at the woman and landed beside her.
“Raising a child is never easy. It’s not about keeping everything comfortable. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. When my chicks are born, the nest is filled with soft feathers and grasses—a safe and cozy place to rest. But when it’s time for them to learn how to survive, I remove it all. I leave only the thorns.”
The woman frowned, confused.
“Thorns? Why would you make it so hard?”
The eagle looked at her seriously.
“Because discomfort teaches. The thorns push them to move, to seek something better, to grow. If everything stayed soft, they would learn nothing.”
The woman pondered the eagle’s words, but doubt still lingered.
“And what do you do when they fall?” she asked.
“I throw them into the air,” the eagle replied.
“At first, they fall—caught by the wind. But I catch them. I lift them with my claws and throw them again. Over and over, until they learn to fly on their own. And when they do? I let them go. I don’t help anymore.”
The woman stared, wide-eyed, not fully understanding.
“I don’t foster dependence,” the eagle continued.
“My children must learn to fly, to be strong on their own. Life isn’t about keeping them forever in a soft, safe nest. If I shelter them too much, if I never let them leave, I teach them nothing. They must find their path—and I trust they will.”
The woman, gazing at the eagle, took a deep breath.
“So… I should let my son struggle a little?” she asked, nervously.
The eagle nodded.
“It’s not suffering. It’s learning. And even when it hurts, human mother, the best thing you can do is teach him to be strong. Don’t hold him back. Don’t shield him from everything. Let him fly.”
The woman nodded slowly, placed a hand on her belly, and looked at the eagle for a long moment. Then, with a soft smile, she said goodbye.
“Thank you, mother eagle,” she whispered as she walked away. “Your wisdom means the world to me.”
She continued down her path, ready to become the kind of mother her child would need—firm, brave, and ready to teach him how to fly.
If you want your child to soar high… don’t do everything for them. Don’t keep them forever in a nest of comfort.
Eagles push their young out of the nest and let them face the thorns, because they know—only then will they truly learn to fly.
Don’t be afraid to see your child fall. Like the eagle, you’ll be there to lift them—but don’t keep them under your wing forever. Let them face the wind. Let them learn to be strong.
True love isn’t protecting them from everything—it’s teaching them to fly, even if that means watching them stumble.
Let them find their way, even if the path is rough.
That’s how they learn to soar.