The Lovely Purpose of a Honeybee

~ rabbitpatchdiary.com

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A bit over a year ago, I became known as “Honeybee” to a very small, but important segment of the population. Lyla was born in April and is my first grandchild.  This week finds me in Elizabeth City-a very large rabbit patch-and Lyla’s hometown.

Lyla was born on an Easter Sunday morning. While staying with her mom, that April, I noticed that Elizabeth City was a beautiful town, with a tremendous amount of culture-and it is full of rabbits.   I have spent a good deal of time here, since that Easter Sunday and a bit over a year later, I find Elizabeth City as charming as ever- and still full of rabbits.

I became known as “Honeybee” because of a silly rhyme I made up. Lyla laughed some of her first laughs over the nonsense and I became her honeybee because of it.  

The business of being a honeybee is a  lovely one and I take it very seriously.  Thank Goodness I am not in it alone as there are plenty of people to love Lyla and they all come bearing gifts-beautiful gifts, at that.

July is not the best time for strolling.  Today we waited til there was no shine left in the sun and it was cooler-but there were bugs of all sorts that had waited as well.  We didn’t stay out long, but we did hear a mockingbird.  We saw pink clouds and smelled freshly cut grass, too.

My friend Rae, is waiting for her first grandchild-any minute now.  I remembered waiting for Lyla.  The first time I held her, I felt overwhelmed with gratitude.  I hoped I would be a good grandmother, but I was quite unsure of how to proceed.  I never let on, but I was nervous.  It is common for a new parent to be nervous-but it never occurred to me that becoming a grandmother would be.

I wondered what in the world I was supposed to do for her in the big scheme of things.  What would I have to contribute to this precious child?  As it turns out, I decided she deserved the best and set out to consider what that meant.  I thought about it while I was hanging diapers out, so Lyla and her mom could take a nap.  I considered it while a good supper simmered and would be ready when her dad came home from work.  I thought about it when she and I were sitting in the cool shade of a magnolia and again when we strolled by the river and heard it sing a lazy song.

When we see a flower, we stop everytime to smell it. I sing beautiful songs to her and she listens-and I recite rhymes full of nonsense and  she laughs.  As it turns out, I realise that I am telling her about the things that I love and maybe that is what it means to be a “Honeybee”.  In one way or another, we are all telling each other about the things we love.

I finally know that listening to a mockingbird in the twilight of a July evening is a lovely thing and worth sharing. I am glad that becoming a “honeybee” helped me remember. First chance I get, I am telling Rae.

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23 thoughts on “The Lovely Purpose of a Honeybee”

  1. I had a delightful time this PM with Honeybee watching our granddaughter play and discussing how brilliant our Lyla is, not to say anything about her spectacular parents!!

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  4. What a lucky girl Lyla is to have you as her very own ‘Honeybee, over the summer Moo is coming to stay as often as my time at ‘The Workplace’ will allow, starting with a 3 day stay this weekend ~ we have been making lots of plans for our adventures together, the difference I have found between being a mother versus grandma is I don’t ‘parent’ him if you know what I mean, it’s all about just being together, showing him the wondrous in the everyday routine, seeing life through his eyes, yep being a grandma is a precious gift 🙂

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      1. Gelfling Grandsons memories will be the judge of that …I’m having wonderful days with him, as no doubt Lyla will treasure time spent with her ‘honey bee’

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  6. Aahhh….that is a big sigh of contentment. I feel like I am truly back home from my travels as I have now sat in my chair and visited the Rabbit Patch.
    I remember well the feelings I had when I held my first grandchild…..the promises I made to be his biggest cheerleader, to show him all the neat things that God had placed in the great outdoors for him to discover and that I would always make sure he knew this grandma loved him no matter what.
    You have brought all those feelings back and I thank you!

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  8. Such a sweet story. I didn’t know if I was ready to be a grandmom at first, and like you, I was a bit nervous about whether I would fit the bill. Well, it’s hard to explain, but it is something that just comes naturally and it is precious time that we have when we get to share it together. At times when I think of my own babies, it seems like another lifetime and I realize how fleeting time is, so when I look at my own grandchildren I remember that and hold on to every moment. Lyla is so lucky to have you for a grandma!

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    1. Thank you Lynn, and you are right about how naturally it unfolds. I still miss the days when our children were little-and it seems long ago at times and then just the other day at times. I love your comments-thank you!

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  10. How wonderful it is to be able to share the simple things in life with someone so new in life, once again. I, like you, seem to be sharing my awe of nature with my grandchildren, as I did with their parents so long ago. I take nothing for granted and hope that this is the one lesson that I can show to them. Thanks!

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