Power of Small
Photo by Steve Wood © Genesis+Art
Shawnee National Forest
Carbondale, Illinois
When the world’s problems feel too big to handle, I put on a pair of muddy old boots and hang out with 120,000 stinging insects. The power of small helps me put things into perspective.
I’m a hobbyist beekeeper with 2 backyard hives of about 60,000 bees each. When I began my hobby 5 years ago, I wanted to save endangered species, provide pollinators for local food growers, nurture something precious when my daughter went off to college, and wear a bee suit that made me look awesome. But instead of saving the bees, I think the bees saved me. Or at least reminded me how to be in the world.
· To keep bees I have to be in the moment. Slow. Quiet. Present.
· I have to recognize that the smallest gestures – and the smallest creatures – can have a big impact.
· I have to do small things with great love. (Apologies to Mother Teresa.)
· I have to respect the seasons – spring, summer, fall and winter carry their own beauty and challenges.
Top 10 Golden Rules Shared by Bee Hives
1. Keep on the sunny side. Look up. Be excited by each new day. Emphasize the bright spots.
2. Waggle dance frequently with your peers. Have lots of small interactions to keep communication flowing.
3. Pay attention to the queen. Connect constantly to the higher force that gives you purpose. Productivity grows when there’s direction from the spirit above and within.
4. Get out & scout. To stay strong, the hive needs scouts and foragers to bring in a constant supply of fresh pollen, nectar, water and news from the outside. Some scouts are ideally suited to be outliers and risk-takers, to stray from the beaten path. Others zero in on the proven, familiar and expected. It’s great to have a balance of both.
5. If your wings get tattered, it’s ok to switch jobs. The hive has plenty of roles if you’re burned out or want a change. You’re never too old or too experienced to learn something new.
6. Have a heart. It may be in your chest. It may be in your abdomen – that’s where bees stash theirs. But have one.
7. Jump in and do whatever needs to be done. Don’t wait to be asked. If anyone is laden with a crop full of nectar or leg-baskets full of pollen, help them carry their load. If a fellow guard bee is fending off a wasp, join the good fight.
8. Never EVER poop in your own nest. Bees won’t do it, and neither should we. If we want to trust and be trusted, we must keep a clean hive and be proud to eat our own honey.
9. Smoke doesn’t always mean there’s fire. But when it does, watch out for one another, calmly gather what you need, and swarm rapidly out of the hive. Prioritize relationships over things.
10. Life is meant to be sweet. Savor the happy times, stand together during the sad times, and know that home is wherever we find love and acceptance. Being a superorganism means that no single bee can survive on its own… it needs its community to live a rich life.
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