On Eagle's Wings
by Rob Abrahams
Our son Alex, in his 11th grade year, drew and painted a picture of an eagle in flight during a school art class. He brought it home and showed it to us -- we really liked it, and eventually framed it and put it on the wall some months later. He thought it was corny, but I know deep down he was proud that we hung it on the wall in our living room.
During his senior year, on Sept 13th 2007, Alex decided to end his life. A few days later, as we were preparing to leave for his funeral, my wife, her sister, and I saw an eagle soaring in circles above our house. We live in a small city, and we had lived there for ten years, and had never seen an eagle in town. I was an avid outdoorsman: I hunted, hiked, camped and fished, as well as an being an amateur birdwatcher and a member of the "Florida Birding Trail", so I know what eagles look like. We felt as if Alex had come to to look at us.
A few months later, on Thanksgiving day, we had at our house Alex's sister, and several of ours and Alex's very close friends, who were spending the holidays with us -- the same group pretty much that had been at our house for the funeral. My wife and I were on our back deck that bright morning, and we looked up, and two eagles were circling over the house. I couldn't believe it! I ran in and woke up who I could, and grabbed my binoculars to be sure -- and yes, it was two beautiful bald eagles. We watched and cried a little till they flew out of sight. I feel it was Alex, free of whatever pain drove him to end his short, bright life, and that he was perhaps soaring with one of his grandparents, or his uncle, and they were showing him how to use his new wings.
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