Listen for the Bees

One of my favorite flower farmers, Briana Bosch of Blossom & Branch Farm, shared a post on Instagram recently that really resonated with me and I wanted to share it with you.  In it she talked about how sometimes when she's harvesting snapdragons she hears a buzz because a bee has been trapped inside one of the flowers. If Briana doesn't let the bee out said bee could remain stuck and die (fun fact - all the bees that we see in our gardens are shes).

An analogy came to me that gave me pause - sometimes we're stuck, we might be stuck in the mud or we might be stuck in a beautiful flower, but we're stuck all the same and can't get out. We've tried everything we can to escape but we just can't do it. It could be a relationship, something we can't emotionally release, a job that's holding us back, or even a limiting concept about our identity - there's so many things it could be. And so we can feel alone, lost and potentially hopeless. At times, the only way we can get help is through assistance from another. But if we don't ask for it, we might never get it. We have to buzz! Otherwise we might be stuck in that flower forever!

And so the buzzing is necessary, while at times uncomfortable as the idea of it can push us further into the flower with thoughts of "I'm being too needy", "I can do this on my own", "I should be over this by now" and more. All of those thoughts keep us stuck right where we are - no movement up - no ability to crawl out and see the world.

And so we must ask for help, or buzz, and we must receive that help from someone who is ready to give it.

Alternatively, if we're moving too fast we don't hear the bee buzzing in the snapdragon. We harvest the flowers, carry them (along with the imprisoned bee!) and ensure that we will absolutely not be assisting them today as we've got too much on our mind / don't have time / are too busy.  So we don't listen.  

Sometimes when we do listen we shut it off because those tapes of "she's so needy", "she really should be able to do this on her own because I did it on my own" or "she should really be over this by now" can flood our heads. And so it keeps us stuck where we are, it keeps our person stuck where they are, and never shall a hand be extended.  

But if we took a moment to listen, to hear what our friend needed (not what we thought they needed), and then helped them literally take a step to freedom, what would that look like / feel like? The bee isn't asking for help flying - she's got that - she can do it; she's asking to get out of the situation she's in.  

I just loved the idea of needing to listen for the bees in the flowers and sometimes to be the bee if we're stuck in the flowers.  And how you need both in order for everyone to fly.