Debra Basham

Living and Loving

Tag: hawk

  • Sunday Hawk Sighting

    They had worked together years ago.

    Their friendship continued for 40 years.

    Every Sunday morning they would talk on the phone.

    Friday, October 25, his friend died.

    On Sunday morning, October 27, as he was driving to the pharmacy to get his medication, the biggest hawk he had ever seen was in the road. That hawk did not move. He had to drive around it. He immediately recognized the sign.

    Hawks are known as the protectors and messengers. His friend loved hawks and had a hawk tattooed on his arm!

  • Red-Shouldered Hawk – A Close Encounter

    On Sunday, she received this wonderful blessing from a spiritual teacher who goes by the name Mother.

    I am with you and I will climb on the back of your bike and enjoy the outings with you. If you go past something that catches your eye, just tap me on the shoulder and say to me, “Mother, did you see that?”

    Or I’ll tap you on the shoulder and say, “Did you see this???”

    Monday morning she was out riding her bike when she saw a Red-shouldered Hawk on a power line. Hawks are often skittish, appearing to be almost “camera” shy. Speaking to the hawk, she stopped her bike and began slowly walking closer. The hawk watched her as she took some photos and then flew up, landing in the yard across the street. Still speaking softly to the bird, she was able to stand within about three feet! She was even able to get a video of some ground behavior she had never seen before. An online search said this seems to be a hawk hunting technique: rooting around the dry grass like a chicken.

    When the hawk flew to the edge of the garage, she stood directly below as the hawk looked down, making direct eye contact.

    She felt the Mother’s energy and imagined her saying, “Did you see this!!!”

    It is thought that hawks represent focus, clarity, determination, and intelligence.

    “Thank you, Hawk, and thank you, Mother,” she breathed.

    Hawks symbolize spiritual awareness because these are all traits you need to be more spiritually aware.

  • Trust the Magic of Beginnings

    And suddenly you know:
    It’s time to start something new and
    trust the magic of beginnings.
    ~ Meister Eckhart

    Today is the first day of 2024.

    Yesterday afternoon I went into a different area on my bike ride. I was only lost between 8.88 miles and 12.22 miles….

    Suddenly I knew I had gotten turned around and did not know which way to go. I stopped and asked directions back to the main road. The man and woman were out in their driveway because they were checking on a Gopher Tortoise that was on their driveway. They were relieved to know it was just sleeping in the sunshine on the warm pavement. It has been somewhat cool here. In fact, it is 49 degrees right now.

    “Is this the direction to Rampart Boulevard?” I asked.

    The man pointed. “At the stop sign, make a right. Your next right will be Rampart,” he assured me.

    I rode in that direction but when I got to the stop sign I knew right where I was, and I was somewhere I did not want to be — on a busy road with no shoulder.

    So many people are right where they do not want to be. Dear Michigan friends here in Florida are very sick with violent intestinal symptoms (either flu or food poisoning); some dharma friends in North Carolina are sick with Covid when he was to be leading a New Years retreat; Stacey and Doug are sick in Tennessee with the respiratory bug that kept Jackson home from daycare all last week.

    Part of the challenge was/is a long canal that ran between where I was and where I wanted to be. One gift in the adventure was my successful riding 15 miles just a few days earlier. It had been many, many years since I rode 15 miles, but yesterday I knew it was possible so I was persistent. Assessing my options at that stop sign, I decided to move ahead I needed to begin by retracting my steps. Even after finding a patch of shade where I could see Google Maps on my phone, I still took a few wrong turns and had to back track several times.

    What a relief when I finally saw a memorable patio heater along the side of the road, left there for trash pickup. I absolutely knew I was back on the road that would take me home!(My phone was only on 7% power when I arrived home.)

    My first hawk sighting here in Punta Gorda was a Red-shouldered Hawk in the neighbor’s yard. Over the next week or so I had several different sightings (one flying with live catch in its talons), a pair sitting side-by-side on the power line right along the sidewalk, a single also sitting facing me on another power line. I was not able to get photos for identification on any of those, but at the exact moment I was enjoying that feeling of relief knowing I was going the right way I saw another hawk. This time I was able to get a fairly decent photo. My beloved Florida birding guide (Hart – such a great name!) identified this one as a Cooper’s Hawk with my photo.


    From Animal Speak, by Ted Andrews:

      Part of the Role for the individual beside whom hawk flies is that of Guardian of the Earth Mother. These are individuals who will possess an astute awareness of the concept of the interconnectedness of all things, and will have an inner reverence for all life.

      These are the souls that are involved in making the world a better place, whether locally or globally. They will be protectors of the Earth Mother and tread softly upon her, encouraging and educating others to do the same.

      Often, they are either found initiating or actively involved in environmental causes, where their keen perception and insight will serve their chosen cause well. Yet it is their day to day existence and fundamental philosophy/foundation of action and belief, that distinguishes these individuals as true champions of Mother Earth as they seek to live in harmony with the ~Ina Maka~ and all that She births, provides, nurtures and sustains.

    The ending of the opening quotation by Meister Eckhart begins with trust. Then it mentions magic. Finding the way home after realizing I was lost took a lot of beginnings.

    And suddenly you know.

    It’s time to start something new.

    “Trust the magic of beginnings” is a great mantra for 2024….

  • A Shared Love – Hawk

    They had met years ago, when she and her husband were wintering on the east coast of Florida. A retired judge from Pennsylvania, he and his wife were also wintering in Florida. She and her husband attended a delightful birding class he was leading at the nature center. A shared love was born!

    These many years later, in December 2023, although they were separated by miles, she still loved sharing her birding experiences with him.

    Sitting on the lanai in Southwest Florida early that New Years Eve eve morning — at the exact moment she was writing an email telling him the details about two hawk sightings the previous day — a hawk loudly flew overhead! She grabbed her phone and hit the voice memo record button…. she included the lovely sounds of hawk in her email message to him.

    Hawks most often screech in flight. A male screeches to announce his territory during the mating season. A hawk will screech loudly and repeatedly to defend his territory, generally from other hawks.

    While each species of hawk, along with the details of the visit, can have slightly different spiritual meanings, hawk generally means change, accomplishment of goals and dreams, clarity, and protection which comes by your honoring your inner wisdom. These magnificent birds demonstrate the results from knowing and going after what you need and want.

    Over twenty years ago she and her former business partner had chosen Red-tailed Hawk as their business logo. Or perhaps Red-tailed Hawk had chosen them. The logo line they used was: Perceive, receive, and use your abilities…. as the hawk rides the wind.

    (This photo of Red-tailed Hawk is one her birding friend sent to her in 2014….)

  • Hello, Hawk…. Hello, Dad….

    She wrote an email message to some family members and a few very close friends:

    He’s been on my mind so much this past week, of course, it’s been a year since we were sitting with him while he made his transition. But this morning, very early, I wasn’t asleep, I guess it was more of a deep resting state. Eyes closed, relaxed, but aware. It was a kaleidoscope of shadows and light and I was trying to figure out what the shapes were, but it kept spinning and shifting. Suddenly this calm feeling washed over me at the same time I realized what I was seeing – A HAWK! The hawk was the light spinning around in the shadows.

    In the past year when I’ve been out in nature – hiking, kayaking, swimming – I get a visit, usually an adolescent Cooper’s Hawk. I know it’s a message and it always makes me smile.

    I am so grateful for all of you and knowing I can share this with you and you don’t think I’m a crazy person.

    Sending love out to all of you today!

    XOXO

    One reply:

    What a wonderful experience. I do remember the hawk right outside the room in that small tree.

    Another reply:

    Oh, thank you SO much for sharing!! After my husband died I saw Visions of swirling Lights, Doves, and Owls and I thought I was crazy – and so did many of my family and friends. I was so grateful for those that knew it was my husband and knew I wasn’t crazy. And I’m so grateful that I came to understand this too. Grateful you are open and connected so your Dad can get his messages through.

    Your dad is among us for sure and his deep love lives on in each of us. ❤️

    She wrote back:

    It’s amazing that we had similar experiences with the swirling and the birds! Thanks for sharing your experience. Sending hugs!

    From another friend:

    Your sharing your experience brings such joy!

    My deepest honor is loving and being loved by one another and truly knowing that people do leave their bodies, but they do not leave their loved ones.

    Thanking each one of you💟💟💟

    She sent this response:

    Thank you for being a big part of this process! It started with the hawk in your yard.

    And this from her sister:

    I’m glad you shared this!! I knew you’d been seeing hawks and I was a little disappointed that I hadn’t seen any but on Wednesday on my way home from work I saw a large hawk sitting on the sign in the townhouse I used to live in. It was so still that I thought it was fake but I watched in my rear view mirror and as soon as I was passed it, it flew off ♥️.

    And a couple of days later from his dear friend:

    I, too, have had him in my heart these past few weeks. Not that he isn’t always close.

    On Friday, July 24th, I was leaving for my last optometrist appointment after having cataract surgery.

    Just after pulling out of our driveway, I saw a large bird sitting on a post next to the road. Since there was no one behind me and out of curiosity, I backed up about half of a block to check it out. I stopped right next to it and noticed that it was a hawk just staring at me. I actually rolled my window down and said hello to the hawk. I set there for around 15-20 seconds and it seemed unfazed by my being that close. Now I realize why there was no traffic to make me hurry on my way. It was meant to be. The hawk was a message from him. How I miss him, but receiving messages like this, I know that he will always be close.

    Unfortunately, I had to get to my appointment and had to leave.

  • Blue Feather


    Opening Quotation by Julie Clapp

    “When you believe beyond
    what your eyes can see
    signs from heaven show up to remind you
    love never dies.”

    Blue Feather by Barbara Darling

    After his untimely death at age 40 in 2009, Barbara’s son made himself known, comforting his sister and his dad. “Why not me?” she wondered. He wouldn’t abandon me. Maybe it’s me; maybe I’m so angry about his death I’m not able to receive his messages.

    A year later she was about to open the door to the pottery studio when she heard a bird noisily drawing her attention. Looking up she saw blue jay, wings flapping, jumping frenetically from branch to branch. She saw the hawk sitting on another branch, quietly focusing on her, conveying a sense of tranquility and peace.

    As she and hawk locked eyes, a feather drifted down from blue jay, landing momentarily on her heart space.


    Tears fell silently from her eyes. Her son made a commotion to get her attention and then gently let her know all was good with him. She was left with a profound sense of tranquility.

  • Messenger

    Sacred Stories

    A woman was sharing the origin of the grief journey group that had gathered for the first time via ZOOM. This group had been meeting for about twenty years.

    The group had been started to support a man, with a young son, following the transition of his wife. He had attended a more formal grief group, but he found he was not comfortable sharing some of the experiences he was having.

    His wife had discovered she had advanced ovarian cancer during the cesarean birth of her son. In her final days, he and his wife had discussed the possibility of her communicating with him from the Afterlife. She had settled on a Red-tailed hawk as a way he would know it was a visit from her.

    Ten days after his wife left this earthly plane, he and his 6-year-old son were at home when this red-tail hawk flew up to their backyard fence and just sat there looking into their house.


    At the same time the woman was sharing the story of the wife’s “hawk visit” with the group, the husband was writing to the woman via Facebook Messenger about something else. Never previously had this woman received a message from him via Messenger.

    Those who love us, obviously really do continue to communicate with us from the Afterlife…. Long after life.

  • What Endures?

    Sunday, March 29, 2020 was the second (and last) day of the Deep Spring Meditation Center virtual retreat with Barbara Brodsky, Aaron, and John Orr. In the afternoon, I went to Galt Nature Preserve for my walking meditation.

    This is the latest/driest I have been here in Southwest Florida. The flora I am familiar with and love, including Sweet Acacia, has almost died back entirely. New (unfamiliar) flora is coming forth.

    I took a short video of the wind singing through the dry palms sounding just like a far-away water fall.

    As I arrived back at my car, hawk flew directly overhead swooping low!

    Juvenile eagle soared with its wide, young wings, just above the horizon, about 300 yards away. This eaglet was born here in the preserve earlier this season, in the nest a short distance from the drive. December seems so very long ago now.

    Yellow police tape surrounds the pavilion as though the deserted picnic tables had recently been the scene of a crime.

    The sun was hot on my skin.

    The thermometer on the instrument panel indicated 87 degrees. All season I had stayed in the house during the heat of the day, protecting myself from the discomfort.

    The past two afternoons while ‘on retreat’ I had walked in the heat.

    Tenderly, I witnessed a pattern in my past of wanting to avoid being uncomfortable. My throat tightened around the thought that perhaps we miss too much….

    I turned the air conditioning off before starting the engine in the stifling hot car which has black interior and was parked in the hot tropical sun.

    I pushed the button to lower the windows and was amazed how refreshing the air felt.

    In his closing comments, John Orr spoke of aging and of the current conditions in our world. He said so much is falling away, but even though there is suffering, we can reflect with gratitude on what has been wonderful and beautiful. We can ask, “What endures?”

    May this humble human remember….