| Greetings to everyone from Jazianzza Azzaza Buzzabee and Anandamayi! Thank you for joining us in this journey towards the upcoming publication of Bee-Coming Strong. We are entering a brand-new year, fresh with hopes, possibilities, and new beginnings. We can join with the energy of millions of people around the world making New Year’s resolutions. It’s a time that has more promise and commitment than say, in June. My goal is to be more present, moment to moment, not only in my meditations, but throughout each hour of the days I’ve been given. I’m wanting to be more mindful of my thoughts, to catch those secretive negative ones and replace them with self-affirming beliefs, instead. Jazianzza asked me to tell you that she has resolved to learn how to not get so distracted, which sometimes causes her to forget that she’s supposed to bee looking for flowers with her sisters. In fact, this character trait leads her into a potentially deadly encounter in the last chapter of Bee-Coming Strong. Stay tuned to find out what happens. But the bottom line is, we both have our jobs cut out for us! What about you? Any buzzings in your mind about what you might like to work on? Jazi also wanted me to tell you about some new beginnings that changed lives for her sisters and brothers, as well as the two-leggeds, in the Caribbean Islands. The Savannah Bee Co. was started 20 years ago by Ted Dennard, a wonderful soul who has been passionate about bees and beekeeping all his life. He is a humanitarian whose commitment extends far beyond bees into education, stewardship of our planet, and love itself. For unknown reasons, the island of Exuma, a district of the Bahamas, although filled with flowers, had not one bee on it! Can you imagine? A seeming paradise of sapphire-blue waters and natural beauty; yet it was completely without bees. Back in 2014, the Exuma Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to uplifting the lives of the people of the island of Exuma, contacted Ted to see if he could help them out. Talk about new beginnings! Thanks to Ted’s altruism and vast knowledge of beekeeping, Exuma went from zero bees in 2014 to having 15 trained beekeepers who maintain dozens of hives. It has changed the lives of so many by allowing them to support their families in this sustainable, important manner. You can read about it, as well as watch the masterfully produced video about it on their website. The video invites us into the enchanting world of bees at a whole new level. Here’s the link: https://savannahbee.com/pages/the-exuma-project And by the way, Savannah Bee Co. has truly beelicious honey as well as a variety of products. After finding them a couple of years ago, I’ve enjoyed having them for myself and giving them as delightful gifts. If you know others who care about nature and children, please consider sharing this newsletter with them. am@anandamayibaker.com Until next month, we wish you a new year filled with the sweetness of honey! Jazianzza Azzaza Buzzabee and Anandamayi (her translator) |
And suddenly you just know…it’s time to start something new
and trust the magic of beginnings.
Meister Eckhart, (1260-1328) German mystic