the little bee whisperer
of last summer
is back.
at age 6
grandson f
tends to the hive
happily
watching and wondering and learning.
—
the happiness of the bee and the dolphin is to exist.
for man it is to know that and to wonder at it.
– jacques yves cousteau
f visits the garden
by the lake
kneels down
to talk to the bumblebees
to see them up close
then befriends them
as they
learn more about each other
full of calm and peace
without fear
and after they make
a short visit to his place
gently
puts them back
where he found them
and says
goodbye for now.
the garden suggests there might be a place where we can meet nature halfway.
Michael Pollan
what a great day at the farm, where we met farmer chris, who taught us many things.
we learned that eggs come in all colors, and shapes, and sizes.
we learned that the littlest of baby goats will follow us, just to be part of a group.
we learned that even a strong-looking pony, needs to be gently cared for.
we learned that it was nice to have someone waiting there to greet us when we returned back to the barn.
and when the farmer on a tractor gave us a bumpy ride on a wagon,
we learned the world is even bigger than we thought,
and filled with many more wonders ahead,
yet to discover.
—
“Children are born naturalists. They explore the world with all of their senses, experiment in the environment,
and communicate their discoveries to those around them.”
The Audubon Nature Preschool
as my son-in-law returns late tonight from a trip working with children in haiti, and his wife, my daughter, prepares to soon leave to do the same in kenya, i am struck by the unending giving spirit and nature of people in this world who understand we are all one. i look to each of them as models, for me and for others, and i plan to follow in their footsteps and do the same.
with the day’s sudden onset of a 7 minute mini white-out, a few slick portions appeared on the local roads. soon after this winter-tease display tossed out by mother nature, i happened to encounter one of these slick spots firsthand. it was on a little bridge leading back from the library towards my cottage.
‘black ice’ is a phenomenon known to those in the northern climates – innocent looking, shiny, invisible, traction-less, and extraordinarily slippery. this was the day that black ice and i crossed paths on the bridge, and as i tried to brake, my car continued to move forward, and i slammed smack into the car stopped right in front of me.
after the crash, we drove ahead and popped out of our cars to assess the damage. i was happily surprised to find that we were both fine, and that our cars had somehow each suffered nothing more than a scratch on our bumpers.
the extraordinary surprise came when i soon realized that i had smashed into one of the happiest, friendliest, people on the planet. he was smiling, and kind, and calm, said he was happy nothing bad had happened, he understood why it happened, and that it had happened to him before. i apologized profusely and he shook his head telling me not worry about it at all.
he gave me his card, and as we talked, i found that we both work with young children. he, working with children in the foster care system, pursuing a masters in social work to continue helping in that field, and me, with my kinders, trying to teach them about life. he told me to keep in touch, that we may be able to help the children in some way, or who knows? it was just like crashing into santa claus in his sleigh. and with a jolly chuckle and a wave goodbye, we were both off on our way once again, and felt somehow better for having met.
___
The ideal man bears the accidents of life with dignity and grace, making the best of circumstances – Aristotle
i followed two 4-year olds at the back of the line, as my class made their way down the school hallway. one was crying. the other reached over, took his hand, and walked with him silently for a minute. the crying continued. the hand-holder decided to take a different approach and share his own tale of woe to make his friend feel better. “hey, when i was a baby, my mom never even played with me. she just wanted to stay in her room with the door closed and watch t.v.,” he told him. (how does he know this? how sad, and it really explains a lot, i thought to myself.) the other little guy stopped crying and they continued on in silence once again, hands swinging.
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If you think you have it tough, read history books. – Bill Maher |
I didn't have my glasses on.... 