Category: Life-narrative

Posted in Awe, Circle of Life, Life-narrative

The Circle of Life 2.0 — Predator and Prey

Posted on by Rhonda Wiley-Jones

AFTER EUTHANIZING MURPHY

I did not expect to return to this subject after writing about it last week, in The Circle of Life: Life and Death. The baby Barn Swallows’ arrival had been a joy, after having put down our sweet sixteen-year-old Shih Tzu, Murphy. The distraction of baby birds turned sadness to contentment.

 

THEN THEY WERE FEEDING

I could observe their daily feedings from my kitchen window. They’ve sprouted a few pin feathers on the top of their heads, making them look like cartoon characters.

MORE OF THEM THAN WE THOUGHT

 

We counted three, then discovered another begging beak. We’d only had clutches of three before.  This created a larger-than-usual family of hungry babies. They appear to be singing in this photo.

FATEFUL MORNING – THE PREDATOR

The parents of the babies were swooping and diving around the porch, in and out, up and down. Rather manic. Since the babies were not showing their heads, I thought, the mama and papa were trying to awake them.

The next time I caught a glimpse of their nest, I saw a large dappled creature. I could NOT imagine a snake had made it to their nest. I opened the front door to check. I indeed saw a snake lounging in the nest and witnessed two baby birds on the porch floor.

Incensed, Lynn grabbed a pole to knock the snake out of the nest. As we prepared to do that, one of the babies on the ground moved. I rescued it so the snake wouldn’t go after it, using utensils, so I didn’t leave my scent on it.

Lynn poked the long pole at the predator. The snake hissed each time Lynn attacked it, until finally the predator took a fall to the ground and slithered off.

Lynn googled how to rescue barn swallows safely. As he researched, I was keeping an eye on the baby. I didn’t want the snake returning to finish the little one off.

While I surveilled the surviving chick, the female Barn Swallow flew around and lit on an emptied Barn Swallow nest that clung to another patio wall. I took that as a sign.

Lynn’s research results told him that Barn Swallows would not reject a baby if handled by humans. We hoped that was true. I transplanted the baby bird to the nest Mama had chosen.

WE SAVED ONE

The Mama came back to the nest and seemed to be bobbing her head into the new home.

Later the porch was quiet. No baby bird chirping for food. No parents swooping in with insects. No life apparent.

I guessed we had failed. We did what we thought were the right things.

Then later in the day we saw both feeding, Mama with a white breast and Papa with a russet breast. The little one was flapping its wings. Chirping for more and more. Deprived for a while this morning and now starving for attention, comfort, and food.

My prayer: May the adult Barn Swallows return again to offer another clutch after this baby fledges.

OBITUARY

August 22, 2026

Our rescued-from-the-ground Barn Swallow led a short and eventful life. A snake invaded the nest. The nestling was the only one of four that survived. After being rehomed to another nest it lived another week. As a fledgling it made its first fearful flight and fell to the ground just below the nest. There were no signs of damage to the creature, just a broken neck. We are saddend to lose this one, but we did what we could.

My prayer still stands: May the adult Barn Swallows return again to offer another clutch this summer.

Posted in coming-of-age, Life-narrative, Memoir, Mothers, Parents

Mother’s Day Dedication

Posted on by Rhonda Wiley-Jones

I’m reading Mother’s Day titles and articles on my phone about mothers and parenting. I paraphrase, from “hilarious parenting,” to “trying to raise successful kids — but stop it.”

My mom was a hands-on, light-hearted, and instructive mom. She provided boundaries. Because I experienced those first hand it allowed me later, when my husband Lynn and I became foster parents to a sixteen-year-old, to give our daughter structured limits. Even though she fought them for a while, she discovered they were convenient. She could tell her friends what Lynn and I expected of her, like what time she had to come home.

I get to celebrate Mother’s Day with my ninety-one-year-old mother who still lives in the house she and my dad built and moved into the month before I was born. In my coming-of-age travel memoir, At Home in the World: Travel Stories of Growing Up and Growing Away, I dedicated the book to my mom. It still seems appropriate here and now today.

I dedicate this book (and my own parenting)

to my mother, Gaye Wiley,

wise beyond her own experience,

who trusted me, the process of growing up,

and Jesus Christ our Lord;

and as a result, then launched me into the world

to become fearless and independent,

self-assured and resilient,

and at home in the world.

Mother, I thank you from the depths of my heart.

Whatever your bond was with your mom, what good thing(s) did she give you? Some people have a complicated relationship, others have an estranged or have no connection with their mothers for different reasons. Maybe your mom died before you knew her. Hopefully you had someone who played an important parenting role in your life. Who was that? And what did they contribute to your life? I’d like to know.

Posted in adventure, journal writing, Life-narrative, paying attention, Writing Classes, Writing Retreats, Writing Workshops

REACHING FOR AWE DURING THE APRIL 8 ECLIPSE

Posted on by Rhonda Wiley-Jones

Would you like to enrich your experience of the total Solar Eclipse coming April 8? Can you envision the setting where you will wait for the eclipse? With whom will you share this once-in-a-lifetime (for most of us) phenomenon? How do we prepare to have a deeper, richer experience of the total eclipse? Have you set an intention for those four-plus minutes of total darkness, so you can allow the wonder and enchantment to wash over you?

That’s what we will explore this Saturday, March 16, from 2:00 to 4:00 at the Butt-Holdsworth Memorial Library here in Kerrville. Bring pen and paper or your journal to write with.

Awe occurs in a realm separate from the mundane world of material money, acquisition, and status symbols — a realm beyond the profane that many call the sacred. (Dacher Keltner in his 2023 book, Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform your Life)

I will be your facilitator. I propose a variety of writing prompts for you to discover the answer to some of these questions above. In addition, I offer hands-on guidance in what I call “stream-of-consciousness” journal writing. This will allow you to access those answers quickly and successfully. We will share our answers, gather ideas from each other, and leave with an intentional and mindful plan of action.

…there exists a magic crackle, a sacred thrum, found at the threshold between two states. Liminal space has its own tantalizing quality to it. … I believe there is more–untapped, unseen. I believe relentless reality breaks us, and magical wonder can make us whole. (Monica C. Parker in her 2023 book, The Power of Wonder: The Extraordinary Emotion That Will Change the Way You Live, Learn, and Lead)

You can let the eclipse be a “been-there-done-that” experience or you can enhance this grand encounter with nature by thoughtfully considering how to prepare yourself to experience it. Let’s do it together. There will be handouts. Bring pen and paper to write with you.