The BEE Buzzed Me

Ever since i was a kid, i have always been in the garden. I would look at the different creatures in it like the busy ants that walk on queue, the green and brown caterpillars that crawl on the leaves, the colorful butterflies that sweetly kiss every scented flower they could wittingly find and of course the yellow bees that would suck the nectars and create delicious honey for anyone. The latter would make me run scared as it would sometimes fly to me, buzzing around thus frightening me.

This has always been the beautiful and funny scenario that i would enjoy doing everyday especially with the sun shining so proudly in the middle of the blue sky. I would wake up early in the morning and stay in the garden until the househelp would call me for breakfast. It was a fantastic experience. Indeed!

But the most memorable part of this garden story is when i was stung by the bee -- it BUZZED me literally.

I thought before that bees are helpful creatures yet they sting so badly. The stinging sensation would make you swell and at times would even kill you. With these in my mind, i thought that bees are generally to be avoided. As soon as I would see bees coming, i must run away and hide from it. I did not want to undergo that painful experience.

One morning, as i was doing my usual routine in the garden, a heard a bee buzzing. I should have ran away but this time it was too close to me. I stood still. I was hoping it would not notice me. But it came even nearer. I thought there is no way i could escape being stung. Surprisingly, as it was like about a ruler away from my face, i saw how beautiful the creature was. It was captivating. My pounding heart even stomped greater. My blood rushed even stronger. Then i realized, it was not a feeling of fear but of excitement. Then I saw clearly the details of its appearance. I started to appreciate it. Then, alas, i allowed myself to be stung. But, i did not feel pain. I felt a nice stingy sensation that awakened me from a seemingly deep slumber to an enormous degree of passion.

Everywhere it went, I ran after it. Soon, it became the reason why I always wanted to be in the garden. For several times, i would offer myself to be stung and once again feel the unique sensation. It was heavenly. It was totally captivating. It was a trance of something. At this point, my world circled on this specific bee. Oh no, not any other bees. Only this one!

The people in the house noticed my inclination and close connection to it. They observed i stayed longer now in the garden than in the house nor elsewhere. I thought, it was worth it. The pleasure, the happiness, those moments, the time --- they seemed to have been caught up in just one form of matter altogether. I lived and existed only with this bee. It was enough for me. It was just perfect!

Then one time, i had to go to another garden for some reasons. To my dismay, i learned that the bee went buzzing some other fellows who came to my garden. I knew it missed me too. So, I hurriedly went home thinking that if I stayed away longer, that bee would be caught by others or be engrossed and become fond in the company of those fellows. It might leave me. This thinking really scared me. I thought, my life will no longer be complete without the bee.

So I went back. But this time, i noticed something different. It was like the bee has also been awakened to the fact that it is not only me who could be in the garden; that other people do exist; that there could even be other gardens too. And these gardens may be even more beautiful. This started the sprouting of the distance between me and the bee.

Now, in as much as we would, the bee would oftentimes leave my garden and land on other flowers and even sting other people too. Initially, it was horrible for me to accept. But eventually, I learned to loosen up. I learned that no one can own other creatures. As the old saying goes: "when you are holding a bird in your hand, if you tighten your hold, the bird would die. If you loosen up, it might fly away." I chose to loosen up because, to me, what is more important is to see the bee fly alive than to see it die in my hands.

At least, i am still thankful that despite the rollercoaster ride that we have been through, the bee gave me the chance to meet it, be with it and see life colorfully and more beautifully. And, as absence makes the heart grow fonder, every time the bee visits me in my garden, i experience a better sensation and a more excitement one after the other.

May God bless you always my dearest BEE... and thank you for everything -- for giving me something to always look forward to and be excited about... You will always have a special place in my heart as long as my heart has a blood to pump... Most of all, thank you for stinging me...