A Contemplative Invitation from A Bumble Bee
By Mary Hally
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Have you ever noticed a bumble bee with “pollen pants”?
I had not until one specific bumble bee gained my wondrous attention as I noticed her sticky, mustard-colored blobs resting upon her back-sides one recent hot summer mid-day.
(In case you do not know, female bees gather and mix pollen with nectar to roll into a ball on their hind legs to create these “pants”.)
Believe it or not, it was not the pollen pants that were the main attraction and teaching that this bumble bee gifted me, but merely the allure! Rather, as I slowly, gently, and quietly observed her work, I began to sense many different invitations occurring within this moment.
My ears picked up the rapid buzz of her shiny, clear wings as she tirelessly visited each white clover flower with a hyper disposition. I could not help but admire her energy and faithfulness to the mission of collecting nectar for future reserves for her nest, as well as the dusted pollen upon her yellow and black body that would feed her young. Her black face and eyes, and tactile antennae navigated her along the gritty surfaces of the flowers she would visit.
As a mother to young children, I picked up a feeling of connection, respect, and admiration for this bumble bee. The words: faithfulness, commitment, and love also entered my imagination. I thanked God for this moment of relatedness and sat for a moment comparing my life as a human being to her life as a bumble bee from what I had observed within that moment. And after contemplating for several days since this experience, my ongoing conversation within such mystery includes:
- How I have not been feeling so energetic or “shiny” as I fill my days with worry and anxiety for the future.
- That I have not been very disciplined about prioritizing what is authentically nurturing to myself and my family, rather distracted by the ways of our modern times, and blending my perceptions with the expectations of others.
- I feel my days are rapidly passing and I am reminded to pay closer attention to the moments that invite me to notice within myself and others: faithfulness, commitment, and love.
I also felt immense gratitude for the ability to contemplate these things as a human being and for the gift through the moment of mysterious creation of this one bumble bee. I sensed a whisper that this bee’s life purpose was not only for her dedication and loyalty towards her own family, but also that her invitation has left an imprint upon my memory that will always resurface as a reminder to hold with gratitude and openness the gifts of my surroundings.
Who knew this one contemplative moment with a buzzing, faithful, committed bumble bee with pollen pants could reveal so much?