I AM A VERY NOVICE BEEKEEPER. I HAVE BEEN UNAFRAID OF AND FASCINATED WITH BEES ALL MY LIFE.
My very Godly Grandmother told me stories of my ancestors that could “rob a beehive without any covering and would only get stung if he accidentally pinched one”. At thirteen I robbed a hive from a fallen oak with my Dad, who left the scene stung while I finished harvesting the honey. Bees are incredible. I have always loved them. Their work ethic, tenacity, cleanliness, order, and sense of community are unparalleled. In nature, they are responsible for far more than we can cover in this post but I want to speak of what I think are the most important functions they do, instinctively.
There is order in chaos. Bees serve the purpose within them. They work their specific task. If they are a worker, they work. If they are a forager, they forage. If they are a pollinator, they collect pollen. If they are a Queen, they lay eggs. If they are a drone, they sacrifice. There is no question as to why- there is only do, then die, for your purpose in your life span was achieved
Their product is the ONLY non-perishing food source on earth. Imagine creating, collaborating, funding, managing, dictating, discerning, failing and recreating over time, an idea or a product that would NEVER perish. Something timeless, something so sweet that it was desirable, yet held medicinal properties that save lives or heals ailments. What would that be worth?
The whole is greater than the individual. Nothing in a hive is a waste. The weakest link is 100% loyal and equally valuable. Each individual cares only about its individual role as it serves the community of which it is a part. In the winter the hive huddles in a ball that oscillates from the inside out and back to the inside so everyone stays at a regulated temperature. The community makes honey for everyone to share. If they starve, they starve together. If they survive, they revive together. Each individual succeeds and sacrifices for the success of the whole.
The Queen rules supreme for the value she gives to the whole. Make NO mistake, this is not a monarchy. A hive is run AND managed by the workers. The dominant force de jour is the middle class. If the Queen doesn’t produce, she dies as irrelevant and she is replaced before she meets her end. Heartless on an individual scale but crucial to survival on a community scale. The collective whole will not-cannot-suffer her. Equally, if she is on point, the workers will risk all to defend her. When predator bees such as wasps or hornets sting you, they recoup and continue stinging, forever inflicting pain. The ever precious honey bee stings solely out of defense; for each one dies after they sting you. To add to the beautiful mystery, a honey bee sting leaves valuable chemicals in its wake. Honey bee stings have been proven to heal dozens of ailments and human afflictions. Many doctors utilize and defend their healing properties.
They give back. Not just by the honey we collect, but by a managed manipulation of their order, honey bees give back with everything they take. Nothing goes to waste. Everything is in equal balance. For instance, honey bees produce drones in their own communities that are actually a drain to their collective group but they serve a higher purpose to the survival of all honey bees. Each hive produces and maintains drone bees that fly to other hives to produce offspring for the success of other hives. This is a drone bee’s sole purpose. The other hives do the same in return. This is because a Queen cannot mate with her own offspring from her own hive. A more poignant point is the worldwide need for the pollination of nature’s crops by a honey bee’s natural talent, collecting nectar to bloom. This tiny, fairly insignificant creature sustains the whole of human existence simply by serving its God-given purpose.
In closing, I believe the community of honey bees represents what all organizations could become if they would reach their own innate potential. Personally, I am trying to apply those natural principles to my life and the organization that bears my name, yet represents far more than I could ever become by myself. Michael Carr & Associates is made up of a diverse, yet collective, group of professionals that cares more for the whole than themselves, yet will not tolerate less than the best from each other. And in doing so, they leave the client with an imperishable gift of care, satisfaction and loyalty. I am more than blessed to be counted among such an incredible group. If you want to be served by, join, or work with such a group, then by all means inquire. If I may help you in any way, please ask. On behalf of all of us.
Thank you,
Michael Carr
