An eagle once taught a woman how to raise a child.

— Are you alright, human mother? — the eagle asked.

The woman looked at her, startled.

— I’m afraid. My baby is about to be born, and I have so many doubts. I want to give them the best, a beautiful, easy life… but how will I know if I’m raising them right?

The eagle perched nearby and replied:

— Raising a child isn’t about keeping them comfortable. It’s the opposite. When my eaglets are born, I line the nest with soft feathers and grass. It’s warm, safe. But when the time comes for them to grow, I remove it all. I leave only the thorns.

The woman frowned.

— Thorns? Isn’t that cruel?

The eagle looked her in the eyes.

— Discomfort pushes them to move. The thorns make them want more — to fly, to find their place. Comfort teaches nothing.

The woman hesitated, still uncertain.

— And if they fall?

The eagle nodded.

— They do fall. I throw them into the wind. They drop. I catch them. I throw them again. Over and over — until they learn to fly. And then? I let them go. I don’t help anymore.

The woman’s eyes widened.

— But what if they’re not ready?

— They won’t be, until they try. If I keep them safe forever, they’ll never learn. It’s not about letting them suffer. It’s about letting them grow. Even when it hurts you.

The woman placed her hand on her belly, breathed deeply, and smiled.

— Thank you, Mother Eagle, she whispered. Your wisdom is a gift.

She walked away — ready to be the mother her child would need: not perfect, but strong. A mother who teaches them to fly.

If you want your child to soar high — don’t clip their wings with comfort.
Let them feel the wind.
Let them stumble.
Let them rise.

True love isn’t sheltering them from life.
It’s teaching them how to live it.
Even if that means watching them fall… so they can learn to fly.