Dominion, birds, bees, and what we are supposed to be doing-- and enjoying it

 Not sorry at all for the late post. It's still morning, right?

It's a glorious, soon-to-be-hot summer day already. I came downstairs after a night of really busy, distressing dreams and shifted my thinking, thanks to a serendipitous circumstance. G was already out on the deck with coffee, listening to the birds and the humming of various bees in the roses. It was already low-70s at 6:30 am, and a beautiful. blue sky opened up over us. 

We had coffee, I read the paper, and then did and finished the crossword puzzle. A slow start is a good one, especially when the day promises to get really hot. Meg and Holly wandered over, and we had an impromptu breakfast. Holly, of course, had to take some play-breaks: the swing-set, the beach ball, the flowers-- so much to see and do. She's itching to get in the pool, but we'll wait 'til midday, just so the water is warm enough. It'll be our first foray of the season. 

I don't plan on doing much of anything today. I have a to-do list, but it can wait. 

The bees all have their own hum and buzz, and the roses host them all equally. I think there's a metaphor for humankind there-- stay busy, do your own thing, and co-exist. Even the wood-wasps visit the flowers on occasion, and they are tolerated. We don't have to be all the same, we don't need to hoard resources, we don't need to claim space as our own exclusively. There's room for everyone, and pollen aplenty.

And the birds are just lovely to watch; yes, they get a little territorial, but they sing and sing from the tippy-top of the fruit trees. The finches dart, the crows glide, and all the others do what nature intended for them to do. As long as each has a space to be in, they are just fine. Another real lesson for humankind. Each has a home, and they understand that pretty well.

When people talk about the "birds and the bees" discussion, it's usually referencing sex and reproduction. I suggest that we should reclaim that phrase, and make it a lesson in how to coexist, how to get along, how to enjoy nature's bounty, each to their own needs and talents. 

And I get to enjoy them doing it, coffee in hand, coexisting and acting in my role as a steward of our little micro-orchard/apiary. I would like to suggest that it should be humankind's role; we are tasked with stewardship and too many people have mistaken that for exploitive behaviors. In the book of Genesis, God gives dominion to man; too often, that word dominion is reduced to domination, which is a real misreading. Domus= home. We are to be caretakers of our home. We are responsible for it for ourselves and all living creatures and the plants and so on. It's about time we learned that, before it's too late.

Have a good day, and stay hydrated!

C