One of the best attractions I visited while in New York City was the New York Botanical Garden.
To be honest, I’m not that interested in flowers. But a local suggested that I go, because it would be a good opportunity to sharpen my amateur photography skills.
She was right!
After being stung by a hornet in Pennsylvania the week before – and enduring burning, itching, swelling and combinations of all the above for about 10 days – I probably should have been more careful. The park had quite a few hornets, and big ones.
Instead, I spent the entire time chasing bees. I was trying to get a prized macro shot of that amazing little bug that does so much and is appreciated so little for its good deeds.
There are a lot of people in our lives who are like that. They are the people we turn to when we’re in distress; whether it’s for money, moral support, advice, a hug, or a roof over our heads. And yet, these are often the people we neglect for those who do far less for us.
I try to audit myself and my relationships regularly, so that I don’t make a habit of taking the selfless people in my life for granted: the people who will give you the world and never mention it, who would actually be embarrassed if they took you out and you tried to chip in on the bill, the people who are your cheerleaders when you’re doing the right thing, and will be just as quick to let you know when you’ve gone astray.
Those are the people we need to value in our lives: busy bees trying to do good, even when no one else notices.
Well, I managed to get a few good shots of the real busy bees without being stung by either them or their hornet friends.
I was also able to reunite with an an old friend, who is one of the busy bees in my life. We met while in university, and I hadn’t seen her since we graduated three years ago. We had a lot of catching up to do, and precious little time to do it.
She had just flown in from Jamaica. She was tired beyond belief and got lost trying to find the park, and then had the quiet patience to wait without complaint while I tried to find her.
Not once did she ever whine or rush or allow her exhaustion to ruin the time we had together. If anything, she was only disappointed that I had to leave so soon. She is one of the many busy bees in my life, and I do my very best to be the same in hers.
Be sure to find your own, and let them know: you’ve noticed.
As the week wears on, take care! Or as we say in Jamaica:
Walk good!
This is brilliant! Thank for the reminder to appreciate the busy bees in my life!
You’re welcome! Enjoy the rest of the week 🙂