Lessons from a Bee
As the old saying goes, “the only constant is the certainty of change” and it is incredible how our perception shifts completely when we understand its deep truth. At the same time that everything is changing all the time right in front of our eyes, we can learn a lot about ourselves and about life if we are aware of the lessons we can take from simple and unique moments we experience. And that happened when I encountered a bee.
A bit of the background story: I’m not impulsive. In fact, I tend to think about 100 times before making a decision. For several reasons it’s a good thing to do but, for several other reasons, it’s a nightmare. Sometimes I’d like to be able to act without consciously thinking much about consequences, judgments, possibilities, and future scenarios because it could save a lot of unnecessary energy spent on useless mental work. It’s a working process to be able to change habits, even more, those ones you’re not aware of, but the consistency of trying to change them is a blessing and a necessary step to a more fulfilling and meaningful life.
So, on one specific day, I was cycling with my friend around a town, enjoying the beautiful and warm weather outside, with a comfortable breeze touching our skin and colorful nature around us. After a marvelous breakfast and great conversations, cycling was the best way to carry on with our day. At some point, we decided to sit down on this bench by this movie scene type of lake just to feel nature’s powerful presence and have more of a great chat. Everything was calm and nice until I noticed a bee.
This little creature was flying but it wasn't a normal flight. I don’t know much about bees but I could see she wasn’t healthy, since she stopped flying, laid on the ground, static. That moment, everything stopped around me and I could only notice the bee. My heart started racing and my thoughts fired. She wasn’t dead but she wasn’t well but I didn’t know what to do, so I did nothing, even though my anxiety levels were rising at this point. As I noticed from a distance, a couple was passing by and they were walking towards the bee on the ground. I wasn’t sure they were aware of the bee’s presence there and I thought about warning them but as they were coming closer, I realized they wouldn’t step on her because they were a bit further apart so I didn’t say anything again. Something inside me stopped me from acting but, at the same time, I was experiencing unease and discomfort from presencing such a situation.
A few seconds later, a second couple was walking around and towards the bee as well but this time I couldn’t see if they would step on the bee or not so, then, I decided to go over the bee and protect her. I apologized to my friend who was sharing about her life but I couldn’t really listen to her while this huge scenario was unfolding in front of my eyes. So I got up and went over towards the bee to protect her from being stepped on by some people. My friend came with me to check out the bee as well.
We both tried to help and I tried to find a leaf to put her on the grass and take her away from that path. I felt better about myself and my inner uneasiness diminished but I still wasn’t feeling 100%, since the bee was still probably a bit unconscious or ill. I said “I wish there was a flower around here so I could put her close to it” and that was the moment my friend saw this little, single, yellow flower in the middle of all the green area we were in contact with. I carried the bee towards the flower, putting her on top and waiting to see what would happen next. Nothing happened and the bee fell from the flower. I got a bit annoyed and mad because I was presenting a dying being in front of me and I couldn’t let that happen. That’s when I grabbed the top of that flower and put in front of the bee’s face, now on the grass. And that’s when nature acted in miraculous ways.
As soon as the bee sensed the flower, she put out her little tongue (or proboscis, its official name) and started sucking the nectar inside that little flower. I couldn't belive my eyes. The bee’s transformation was astonishing, causing her to go from being lying on the grass on her back to flip over and become this ferocious, energetic bee, sucking, literally, the “life out of the flower”. That moment my heart settled and I could, finally, appreciate that beautiful moment unfolding.
At some point, I mentioned “It would be amazing if this bee could fly off” and as if she was hearing me, she did so. She flew from that tiny, shiny, yellow flower, away from us and followed her own journey. Tears came to my eyes.
I couldn’t speak for a few minutes. That scene will never leave my soul and, even if I can give more details about that moment, I will never be able to explain the rich lesson I got from that encounter, understanding that it was one of those moments someone would have to live to be able to grasp the intense feelings the arose from it.
In general, I realized a lot of things about life, about myself, and nature. But the biggest lessons that bee thought me was, firstly, move. Take action, make it happen, confront the unknown and make mistakes. If I didn’t move after that second couple was walking towards the bee, I don’t know if she would be alive and I’m sure my heart would be a lot heavier knowing that I “could have done something”. I couldn’t be effective, it could even be more lethal than what actually happened but I could never know what would actually happen if I didn’t get up and act.
The second lesson I got from that bee was to never give up. Fight till your last minute, don’t settle for less than what you think you deserve, show yourself up. Life is a constant struggle and being able to grow and learn from situations is the best tool you can carry to fight uncertainty and create a life that’s better for you. It will never be perfect, and it shouldn’t be, but make the most out of what you have.
So, next time you think you had enough and you have nothing to do, move somehow and never give up.
