Caretaking bees and people

[gingerbee]

In the beeyard caretaking, for me, involves making sure the hives are ok and keeping the bees healthy. One has to care that they have a good queen and have forage, space to grow and prosper, that hives and equipment are in good order, the bees disease free. One must be kind, handle them gently and try not to be too intrusive. Such a beekeeper will lose few hives and be rewarded with both honey and the satisfaction of knowing he or she has made a positive contribution towards sustaining the natural world.

With people, caretaking involves effort; help them if you can to have a better day each day-family or stranger. An encouraging word matters. Care about how someone else is feeling. Most people will appreciate the effort. When confronted with anger or sarcasm don’t return it, don’t take those actions personally. They are not your problem, someone is taking out their frustration at something in life on you. The kindness you pull from within when you lift another up rather than tear another down can define you. That’s a lot better than the eye for an eye reaction. Give someone the benefit of the doubt. Lend a helping hand where needed. Not always easy, but the best choice. I try to relate civilly and in a positive way with man and beast. I try, I stumble, and I fall far short. But I get up and I try again. It is the simple things in life, the kindnesses shown, that effort that means the most.

I am in love with our natural world and appreciate the people in it who are helpful and kind.
And you know, love takes many forms and goodness is created when love is expressed. With nature, with other people. I'm trying to make a habit of doing towards the natural world, to my family, to others, as I would like to have done to myself. I’m trying to go about my life for the greater part of each day loving and caring for all creatures’ great and small while also giving thanks for this beautiful world and all in it.

I guess it’s why I love bees. I love the simple way they go about living, caring for our environment, sustaining us with honey and our world with pollination. I am thankful for them, for the beauty around me they sustain. I also appreciate those on this forum who also caretakers, who wish me and my bees well, who make the effort to give good advice and take the time to help me when they can. Thanks to all who have done so. When I go into the beeyard tomorrow to put out patties for tracheal mites, dust for varolla, make sure all have honey or feed, look for supercedure cells, do beeyard tasks I will think of you kindly and with gratitude.