It is funny how my “like” and “dislike” of the seasons have changed in the recent past.
Before, I used to love summer, summer, summer. The hotter, the better. On the flip side, I thoroughly disliked winter and everything about it. But as they say. Everything changes. This is true about the seasons, but it also can be true about our opinions. And mine have changed.
These days, I like all the seasons. Mostly equally. They each have their strong points. And they also have their faults. If I had to rate them now, summer would be pulling up the rear. My ranking of the seasons, from best to worst, would go Autumn, Spring, Winter, Summer.
But there are some bits of summer that I love. Like those cookouts with cheeseburgers, coleslaw, corn on the cob, and all the other fixings. Or taking Louis and Ollie outside without having to bundle up first.
In the middle of all of that, I love to watch ants and I love to watch bees. I will stop most anything I am doing if I spot an ant on a mission. Or a couple of bees working their magic. But ants especially. They seem so driven in their life’s work. Determined. Steadfast.
But the truth of the thing? We can learn a lot from watching ants and bees. They can teach us so much about living in community. And how important it is to work for the greater good.
So many times when we might spot an ant or a bee out working in the world, we only see one. But this doesn’t show the reality of their situation. They are constantly working as part of a group, those little ants and bees are.
Ants and bees cannot and do not survive as individuals. They can only make their way in this world as members of their clan. But wait. There’s more. It goes hand and hand with them. (Or leg and leg.). The group’s survival is dependent on all those little individuals doing their little tiny jobs, all together, exactly as they should.
As such, the group’s well-being becomes the entire goal of each individual ant or bee life. They go about their tasks without complaining, or loafing, or blaming. They just do what is in front of them. They keep doing the next right thing. In that way, they have a tremendous sense of self-knowledge. They know that their little pieces of work are making the world —their world — a better place. And by doing so, they are ensuring their best lives.
So when we think about our own lives, ants and bees can show us what it means to fully own what we have to offer this world. They also show us how making our “little contributions” will directly impact the greater good in communities, our world, and in our lives.
We all have certain talents we were born with. We also learn skills as we go along. And when we give these freely, we are doing our part to make the world better. To making it thrive. So that everyone may benefit.
I love to watch the ants and bees.
The wisdom of ants and bees.
Any time. All the time.
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We cannot live only for ourselves. A thousand fibers connect us with our fellow men.”
– Herman Melville
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“If you want to go quickly, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”
– African Proverb
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“Start by doing what’s necessary, then what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.”
— Saint Francis
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The seasons bring ants and bees and lessons.
