Dear Friend,
Considering what a cute little baby you were, it’s no wonder someone began caring for you the moment you were born. Yes, even if you were raised by wolves, you were an adorable, messy, handful, and just look at you now!
Have you ever reminisced with the person or people (or wolves) that cared for your little baby self? Have they told you about the day that you were born? How perfect you were? Maybe they’ve told you that they counted your toes and your fingers, they looked at your little ears, marveling at what an incredibly beautiful person you already were… they’ve told you how you cried all the time or you didn’t cry at all, you wouldn’t eat or you ate everything. There were the hours of waiting for you to fall asleep, then the worry when you slept longer than usual. You pooped too much, you didn’t poop enough. The first time you smiled, you smiled at them, or, was it gas? The mindfulness, heart-filled joy, the fears, the exhaustion, and the gift of love that they felt from you… and, how you were loved.
Perhaps you will join me in thanking all creatures that not only care for the babies of the world, but help them to learn the things they need to know in order to survive. THANK YOU!
It is such a balance! Do this, don’t do that...
rules and freedoms - lines and spaces - talk and listen - play and rest - give and receive - teach and learn - do and be …
In this world, there are so many beautiful examples of how babies are cared for and taught, sometimes from day one, what they need to know. Bees are great examples! They are fascinating creatures. And though they talk to each other and teach each other all the time, they don’t hear the same way we do. (In my imagination, bees do have ears). This video shows how Honey bees perfect their waggle dances by learning from elders.
When I was 9 years old, I was running, with summer-tough bare feet, through the grass in my grandparents' yard and I accidentally stepped on a bee. It clung there on my big-toe by its stinger, struggling to free itself, and I was devastated that I didn’t know how I could help; I knew that it was going to die and it seemed so scared. Then the bee suddenly pulled free and flew away. The sting on my toe didn’t hurt very much and I’m not allergic to bee stings, but I still felt terrible about the little bee, how frightened it had been, and now... it would die. For this reason, I was very upset. My grandpa told me that it was a queen and that a queen bee can sting all she wants without dying. His words were meant to comfort, (little did he know that I would soon do some fact checking). My grandpa had a good imagination and he loved me very much.
Since then, bees have always intrigued me. Real bees. Their ways, their dances, their voices, all to communicate for the good of the hive, the Queen, the offspring. It is because of their dances that I wrote about the ‘Ways of Bees,’ a set of books and songs meant to be used to teach a princess bee everything she would ever need to know to become a strong, wise, caring, Queen. In my story, Beyond the Weakened Thread, the creatures want the Queen to thrive because ‘The plight of the Queen is the plight of the land.’ That notion might be from my imagination, but it is real for us in our world, too. Bees are incredibly important! Read more about Why Bees Matter.
The following is a collaborative video by Frank Bevans:
Bees & Flowers with a piano/vocal piece: ‘The Age of Dancing’ by Sisters Original Music.
So, who taught you the important things? Maybe today is a good day to thank that creature… be it a Mom or a Dad or someone not even related to you… it’s never too late to be grateful for them. AND… the next time you look into a mirror, try to imagine the first time anyone ever saw your sweet little face. Awww! Just look at you… you really are, still, so precious!
Speaking of being grateful, sunshine is abundant and you are probably having a very busy day! Thank you for taking this time to read Tracks by the Post! Please write to us, let us know how you are doing, maybe share a story about your baby-hood or bees or caring for others … we know that you are a caring sort, after all, you’re here! And we appreciate you!
Wishing you a wonderful week ahead.
Gently Be,
Leslie and Frank
Learn more about Sisters Original Music
Visit Frank Bevans Photography
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