#dadwisdom

Many moons ago, when I was a wee tot, I would help my dad at his apiary. Being the angsty child I was, I really didn’t enjoy it all that much. Hot, humid summer days spent in a full-body suit and elbow-length gloves didn’t particularily make for a fun time. But, dad was old-fashioned, and I enjoyed home-cooked food, so, well, there I was, helping.

As much as I didn’t enjoy it at the time, there were a lot of important lessons learned through those arduous summers, but none other than the one day, when we were gathering honey-laden frames. The honey bees were getting increasingly aggressive, which, in turn, increased my frustration. Lifting frame after frame from the hive, I had killed a not-so-small number of worker bees. At first dad had glared at me, but as I continued to squish those poor insects in my frustration-fuelled haze, he came over, and put his hand on my shoulder and said, simply, “take care of your bees, and your bees will take care of you.”

It wasn’t until many, MANY years later that I realized the importance of that statement. It took on so many meanings, as I matured (well, my wife would argue my level of maturity…), and grew older. The flowers the bees gathered from were nothing special, but there was something about the flavour and delicacy of the honey that left many people gushing over it. My dad would smile, and nod his head, everytime someone complimented the honey. We had repeat customers who would buy only from him, and he smiled. He loved those bees, and the honey showed that love.

Take care of your bees, and they’ll take care of you.