I was in the Adirondack mountains of New York on a kayak in the lake one late summer evening at dusk when I heard faint wing beats emerge behind me. That steady, constant, and fierce force of wind that results from the downbeat of a bird’s wings was subtle at first, yet quickly intensified. I peered up only to see a large osprey soar right over my head. These birds, sometimes called fish eagles, river hawks, or fish hawks, have an impressive wing span, nearly 6 feet when full-grown. Despite low lighting, I identified this bird right away because of its distinctive “m-shape” in flight. It is the only raptor with such characteristic morphology and the only one in North American that regularly dives for live fish. The bird quickly flew away, but not before I was able to grab my camera and catch this shot. Only the silhouette is visible, a mere shadow of a beautiful bird.  

A shadow is an interesting thing. Unlike the story of Peter Pan, you can’t really stray far from it; it trails behind you wherever you go. Contrary to the dark connotations often associated with the concept of a shadow, the shadow of that osprey flying high over my kayak on the lake left an immediate impression of surreal beauty. That beauty lingered and stayed with me long after the bird was out of sight. I’ve recently seen several osprey in a similar manner, and the impact is just as strong. 

Our metaphorical shadows function in much the same way. We leave traces behind. When we interact with someone, converse with someone, even just pass by someone, our tracks remain. If you are anything like me I tend to get so busy and caught up in my own world that I often neglect to recognize the shadows I cast. I hope some are positive, but I fear others are not. Are my acquaintances left with a sense of kindness? Contempt? A feeling of insignificance? Does positive or negative energy linger? Although the hectic pace with which we live our lives doesn’t always allow us to be mindful of what we leave behind, it is worth some pause to consider. Birds like the osprey leave behind grand impressions of wonder for me. The same is possible for us humans. What do you leave in your wake?