Book Review by Angela Earle
Flight to Freedom:
How One Woman Defies the Odds to Assist Injured and Orphaned Birds
of Prey
by Diana Lynn Siderides
172 pages
©2000
This isn’t only a book about birds of prey, or a book about one
woman’s journey in establishing a habitat and recovery center for
them, it’s about the deeper soul’s journey of wounded beings, of
willingness, healing, and of listening. Birds of prey don’t have a
lot of nuances to their emotions regarding people: they either love
or hate you and the only way you know the difference is by being
able to speak their language, or through broken bones and
nearly-pecked out eyes (both of which the author has survived during
her training). Diana Siderides, who began Flight to Freedom in 1985
in Boise (and now living in Emmett), was listening, not only with
her eyes and ears, but with her heart and soul.
“I have always preferred animals to people.” - page 17
What makes this book so special is that Diana is very upfront and
matter-of-fact about her usage of alternative and complimentary
treatments on the birds that come her way. She is a Reiki Master,
trained in a prestigious lineage, and uses the energy modality daily
in her work with injured, abandoned, and non-releasable birds. She
not only works on them, though, she works with them. She
communicates with them, gives them what they need, what they ask
for, and helps them “transition” when it is their time to move on.
She doesn’t perceive herself as “special” in any regard, and in
fact, she thinks we all have these latent abilities and simply need
to open ourselves up and learn the language of the world around us.
She respects the birds’ instinctual habits, and seems to ask nothing
in return except the opportunity to be of service.
In addition, Flight to Freedom is her own story, how she came to be
here, what she has gone through on her path, and her own process of
self-discovery. Through her work with the birds, she is able to go
deeper within herself. Through her work with what appear to be
abandoned, misfit, outcast creatures she is able to heal experiences
in her own past and through finding the beauty, love and glory in
the birds, she is finally able to see those qualities within
herself.
There’s no happy ending with all of the loose ends pulled together
perfectly. This book is written mid-journey, in dedication to her
bird friends who feel their story must be told. Like the birds she
rehabilitates, we stay with her awhile, and are then set free once
again into our own lives. This story asks us, What if every step
were made in spirit, and our eyes and ears were always open? For
Diana, this is a necessary way of life, and as she is a student of
the birds, she becomes a teacher for us.
Quote: “I have certain limitations that I haven’t resolved yet; just
give me more time.” - page 167
Text Box: To order Diana’s book, (Price $16.00 includes shipping and
handling)
or find out more information on Flight to
Freedom and her workshops on Reiki and Animal Communications visit: www.warmfuzzycenter.com
Book Excerpt: I mentioned earlier how hard it is to watch an owl or
a hawk die when it is in my care. On the other hand, I feel that I
must not allow myself to get in the way of this happening if this is
what is meant to be. All raptors that come into my care do so with
the knowledge that I will be unconditional in my efforts to respond
to their needs….Five days after I stopped force-feeding the second
baby barn owl, he transitioned. In human terms, this little fellow
put up one brave attempt to beat the odds but he finally succumbed
to his fate. My heart was broken for he was a very courageous little
boy. Yet he did it his way, under his own terms. I realized that he
was now totally free of his physical burdens and pain and had become
spirit. This brought happiness to my heart. (pp. 93-4)
