Life of Bees

It takes roughly 21 days for a worker bee to emerge from it’s cell. After it emerges, its life spans roughly a few weeks in the summer, to a couple months in the winter. Given it does not have to use it’s stinger in defense and subsequently die immediately. A worker bee spends it’s entire life working.

How do bees work their entire lives, never knowing what it means to take a break, never knowing rest?

I promised myself – I promised my kids, that I would slow down. Yet, I find myself busy like a bee. Except, on top of my normal duties and responsibilities, there are expectations that others place on me. In my attempts to meet these, expectations placed on me, I have become weary… AGAIN! When unreasonable expectations are placed on me, they become heavy – burdens, if you will. I didn’t realize it until now.

People have their own personal desires that they attempt to fulfill in various relationships when they themselves are not whole. This can be draining, suck the life out of you, or just plain toxic/parasitic. Healthy relationships are give and take – a balance of the two, not always an equal balance, but a balance nonetheless.

So, breakup or nah?

Now, we’ve all seen the breakup scenes in the sitcoms: Boy and girl have been dating. He is ready to move on, or has already moved on, but needs to breakup. She is still in love… “It’s not you, it’s me.” What does that mean? I don’t understand! You are breaking up with her because she’s still the one you want, still the one you love?

No! Sounds like, what you really mean is: “It’s not me, it’s you.” If we’re honest. And, no judgement, I’ve been on both sides… No, I never used those words, or heard them – but the impact… I felt those words. And, NEWSFLASH: the relationship does not have to be romantic in nature for the, “It’s not me, it’s you,” impact to occur. Trust me, been there, felt that.

When to use the stinger…

When a bee uses her stinger, it is a guarantee of certain death. The bees that sting are drones, non-reproductive female worker bees. They sting in order to protect the hive, or because an animal or human proved to be a threat to a bee. Once a bee stings, it releases pheromones that other bees sense, one bee sting can quickly turn into hundreds, thousands! Depending on how close you are to the hive. Just think, how easily they surrender their lives in protection of the hive… 

The difference between humans and bees: Bees have only one time to use their stinger, then they die. Humans will not die when we sting, therefore we can and will sting again and again. Bees sting for the sake of protection. Humans sting for protection (defense mechanism) and other reasons, sometimes just to harm another person, sometimes we sting unknowingly. Whatever the case, the person stung, allergic or not, is affected.

I think we have all used our stingers and been stung by someone else’s stinger… I try not to use my stinger… Sometimes it happens, even when I’m doing my best not to use it… I feel especially bad on those occasions. There have been times when I have been stung and I turned around and stung right back… I felt bad in those situations also… The Army taught me the phrase: I felt threatened. As a means to justify – well, anything while deployed. But, life doesn’t work that way! I’m not a bee, not in a state of war, call myself a Christian… I don’t get to sting anyone, whether they stung me first, or not.

Aren’t I to love my neighbor as myself? I wouldn’t sting myself, that would hurt! I am no masochist. Shouldn’t I live peaceably with all men? I can’t go around hurting people with my words. That’s asking for trouble! For a man to have friends, he must show himself friendly – not go around stinging folks! I have to be careful with my words. I am a sarcastic individual at best. Most people don’t know that about me. And if you don’t know me, you may not realize I am joking, then ouch, I unintentionally stung you, we both feel bad. I am blunt – and praying for the Lord to bridle my tongue, He is doing a wonderful job!

In any case, I am grateful that we aren’t bees… Our life span is much longer. When we sting we still get to live to see another day… Still, it’s good practice to try to hold your stinger, if at all possible.

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