Message from Karla Mungillo, Third Grade Teacher

The Eagle

The eagle has the longest life-span among birds. It can live up to 70 years but to reach this age, the eagle must make a hard decision.

In its 40's its long and flexible talons can no longer grab prey which serves as food, its long sharp beak becomes bent. Its old-aged and heavy wings, due to their thick feathers, become stuck to its chest and make it difficult to fly. Then, the eagle is left with only two options: die or go through a painful process of change which lasts 150 days. The process requires that the eagle fly to a mountain top and sit on its nest. There the eagle knocks its beak against a rock until it plucks it out. After plucking it out, the eagle will wait for a new beak to grow back and then it will pluck out its talons. When its new talons grow back, the eagle starts plucking its old aged feathers. And after five months, the eagle takes its famous flight of rebirth and lives for 30 more years!

Why is change needed? Many times, in order to survive we have to start a change process. we sometimes need to get rid of old memories, habits, and other past traditions. Only freed from past burdens, can we take advantage of the present. When it rains, most birds head for shelter; the eagle is the only bird that, in order to avoid the rain, starts flying above the clouds………No wonder God wants us to spread our wings and soar with eagles!

Isaiah 43:18 - Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wastelands.