Birthday Blessings

All I wanted for my birthday this year was to see the blossoms which are in full bloom. The almonds were at their peak blossom over my birthday and my wish came true. We traveled out to a nearby orchard to walk. As we left the car and entered the orchard the air was filled with the scent of blossoms! This was however joined by another sensation I was not expecting. Since I was quite young, I have dreamed of some day being a beekeeper. The air all around me brought back these dreams and my excitement grew! Not only was I to be blessed by the beauty and scent of the blossoms, but the air was filled with a sound and energy I had not expected. As we entered the trees, the hum of the bees was amazingly loud. The bees were everywhere! They hummed and hovered about the blossoms as well as about us. What has entered this space? Who are these intruders? They seemed to be content to just buzz a bit around us and go back to their work at the blossoms. With each new tree we explored, bees would come to swarm about. It was a thrill to reach out towards the blossoms and have the bees hovering all around, checking us out. It is amazing how they work. They are on a mission and they work so hard. To see those with pollen on their legs and watch as they worked, traveling back and forth from the hives was humbling. I sat for a bit at the base of a tree filled with the scent of the blossoms and the sound of the busy bees, knowing my birthday was complete. As I travel to the Farmers Market next to purchase yet more of our local honey, it will be nice to remember my time with the bees and how they blessed my birthday. May we all take the time to remember where our blessings come from and all the work that goes into bringing our food to our tables from the soil, rain, sun, bees, farmers, workers, and those who stock the shelves or drive the trucks. May they all be blessed for the gifts they give us. May we all stop to enjoy the blessings we receive each moment of our lives.