The eagle is the bird with the longest life span. It can live as long as 70 years, but to reach that age, the eagle must make a very serious and difficult decision. When the eagle is 40 years old, its nails become tight and weak, making it hard to pick up its prey, which is necessary for its nourishment. Its long, sharp beak becomes curved and points toward its chest. Its feathers by now are old, thick and heavy, making flying difficult. The eagle then has to decide between two choices: to die or to face a very painful process of renewal. This process will take 150 days. First, the eagle must fly to a high mountain and find a stone wall where there is a nest so it can stay without having to fly. After finding this place, the eagle begins to hit its beak against the wall until it falls off. Now it must wait for a new beak to grow.
Next, the eagle must use this new beak to remove every talon. When the new claws grow in, it begins to pull every feather off. At the end of these five painful months, the eagle lifts its wings and flies, renewed for 30 more years of life.
In our lives, many times we have to get away for a time of renewal so that we can continue to have victorious lives. We have to let go of customs, traditions, and memories that cause us pain. We need to free ourselves from the weight of the past and look forward to a valuable and enjoyable renewed life.