Be(e)Wings
“Something opens our wings. Something makes boredom and hurt disappear. Someone fills the cup in front of us: We taste only sacredness.” ~Rumi
I don't know how my little (then) iphone 6 managed to capture this aspect of a bumblebee that showed up on my windowsill. (I was basically just winging it.) But I was pleased with the wing detail and it got me researching and thinking.
Bumblebees actually have 4 wings but the 2 smaller wings are attached closely to the tops of the larger ones. (You can see it in my photo.) They move at around 200 beats per second! 200 beats per second? That blows my mind! How is that even possible? 200 anything per second! I don’t think I can even be consciously aware of 200 things in a second! (Apparently the conscious brain can only handle 40-50 bits of info per second.)
Appropriately the bumblebee genus is Bombus and I think of them as gentle giants, the teddy bears of the bee world. They are bigger and slower and earlier than other bees. Their wings don't flap up and down; they actually pivot, twist and rotate in an arc to give them lift (200 times a second! Aren’t they amazing?!)
Which brings me to my question of the week: What gives you lift? What helps your spirit to fly? What are your "wings"? What resources do you use to get yourself off the ground, so to speak?
For me, it's running or walking in nature, laughing at myself, flowers (cherry blossoms right now), music (currently Joni Mitchell, then and now), reading inspiring books and blogs, connecting with other people in meaningful ways and doing something to help someone somewhere OR to help the earth (like picking up litter).
Just to keep it real, there are days when I can't fly to save my life. I limp around the house wingless and dispirited. But I usually try at least one of my resources to help me find my powers of flight again.
May you find your favorite glittery, feathery angel-wings or simply your translucent-blue, papery but powerful bombus wings.
Maybe, like Peter Pan, it’s our happy thoughts that enable us to fly. Bee happy, my friends. 🐝
This song is happy-making for me. I’ll be happy if it makes you happy too. It’s worth 2 listens!
You give me lift. My spirit flies when I hear Joni Mitchell sing, then and now and on both sides now ;o)) My wings are yellows and not the blues. The answer to "What resources do you use to get yourself off the ground, so to speak?" is peace and love
You know how I love the bumblebees Melanie, what a gorgeous picture, who knew iPhone 6’s had it in them?!
It’s usually the little things that give me a lift: a fat full moon, the twinkling stars, walking (especially when wildlife crosses my path), the trees waving at me, the TikTok videos my kids send me that are their way of professing their love, books, blogs (yours in particular) and so many other things including a nice cup of tea 🫖