Greetings to all in our hive, both near and far, in this month of September. The summer seemed to fly quickly, and in a couple of weeks, it will officially be fall. How did that happen? In the backyard, I see the bees are busy flying from one flower to another, despite the heat we’ve been having.
I find it fascinating to watch them on their journey, as they seem to have a way of never getting upset with one another if they both land on the same flower, or crawl up the same long Gabriel’s Trumpet plant as another bee. Yesterday morning, I saw three bees climbing way up the same stamen, and none of them seemed particularly bothered by the other. It’s a good lesson for humans, and it was sweet to see.
As another example, check out this video of hummingbirds and bees sharing a hummingbird feeder. They had no problem whatsoever getting along with one another, even though they all wanted the same food! Talk about a sweet sight!
Speaking of sweet, there’s something I’ve wanted to share for quite a while now. Jazianzza is in full agreement that it’s time to write about it. At the beginning of the year, some dear friends of mine celebrated their 50th anniversary. Fifty years! Knowing this couple as well as I do, I can assure you that their relationship is strong, filled with love, trust, patience, open communication, and sweetness. They have made it through many challenges and have come out stronger. The husband threw his wife a surprise anniversary party, and when discussing their marriage, he emphasized the importance of sweetness in any long-term relationship. Later, when I asked him to send me a copy of what he said, he told me he had no real notes. He wrote this:
“What I hoped to say was something like, sincere sweetness is a wonderful quality to share with friends and loved ones. Fifty years of being together need lots of sweetness. Each of us here and everywhere, by feeling sweetness and then sharing our sweetness in some way every day, is a wonderful expression of the love we have to give.”
I LOVE that! Ok, I get it. It’s hot weather for a lot of us. We can get grumpy in the heat. Times are challenging in one way or another for almost everyone. It takes effort at first. But yes, to add sweetness, goodness, thoughtfulness, or kindness to our days not only uplifts ourselves and others, but it can literally create endorphins, those magical chemicals produced in the brain which increase our feelings of well-being.
I asked ChatGPT the difference between sweetness and kindness, and it gave a beautiful answer…it said sweetness is the tone, the gentle, affectionate, warm way something is expressed. Kindness is the action, the consideration of someone else’s well-being, and how you support them. And then Chat said something profound:
Sweetness keeps love tender, while kindness keeps love steady.
Just think of life without the sweetness of honey that Jazi and her siblings give us. Yes, they perform the crucial job of pollinating our food crops, but they also give us that incredible gift of honey. And the kindness they often show, the amazzing way they can work together, is something we can all emulate. I was looking for something else and ran across this short video of bees working together. You might enjoy the wonderful close-up shots and the reminder of how vital these little ones are to our own well-bee-ing.
So, what if this September, the time when school is starting again, and the reality that we’re almost ¾ of the way through the year is sinking in, we try to consciously add sweetness to our own lives, and the lives of our children and friends, as well as strangers? The world is crying for this rare commodity. My friends have 50 years of sweetness baked into their relationship. What if we followed suit, in whatever relationships we are a part of? It could be life-changing.
Oh my goodness, the word “bake” reminded me I wanted to offer you this recipe! It’s so delicious that when I brought it to a potluck, two friends asked me for the recipe. Throughout my life, I’ve been interested in herbs, and so I’ve subscribed to the master herbalist Kami McBride’s newsletter. These cherry chocolate treats (with honey!) are delicious.
May your month be filled with unexpected sweetness, helping you to refine your own sweetness to share with others. Enjoy!
Saruman believes it is only great power that can hold evil in check, but that is not what I have found. I found it is the small everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay… small acts of kindness and love.
(and sweetness, I would add! 😉 🐝)
— Gandalf, from The Hobbit
And as always, please feel free to share this newsletter with friends who have children or grandchildren, or are teachers, caregivers, bee lovers, or anyone else you think might benefit/delight from reading this. They can subscribe by simply going to AnandamayiBaker.com and filling out the form.