Just this morning, I was on the phone and gazing outside. A bald eagle flew not more than 10 feet from my home office window—at eye level! Smoothly, from left to right, that magnificent creature made effortless flaps of its wings. I jumped up to get a better view and followed his flight until he landed in a tree three houses down. The guy on the phone got an earful, but he quickly became as excited as me.

Talk about getting your heart going! Not only the quickening of the beats, but also warming my soul. I didn’t expect the wave of awe, inspiration and pride that ensued. It’s amazing what a three-second experience ignited in me; from a patriotic viewpoint, the power of nature to influence, and a calm that washed over me.

I’ve often associated bald eagles with my dad. The morning of his memorial service 22 years ago, I was hiking near his house in rural southwest Missouri. I saw an eagle and thought it might be a sign from Dad, the lifelong outdoorsman he was. Maybe his way of saying, “Move forward. It’ll be OK.” Ever since, each time I see an eagle, I give a little nod to Dad for dropping by to check on me.

Whether it’s the state of the world today, or just a little visit from Dad, that eagle really made my day.