Rusty Lee and the Bumble Bee-oldie but goody by me

Rusty Lee and the Bumble Bee:

A life's lessons in a little girl's dream

by Stacey Bourdeau

     Rusty Lee is a beautiful little five year old girl who loves everyone and everything. She especially loved to take her children's safety scissors out into the yard and cut flowers. One day while out cutting up flowers rather than just cutting some for a bouquet, Rusty Lee was stung by a bumble bee. Mommy checked for the stinger and applied apple cider vinegar to the site of the sting, kissing away the tears. These things happen.
     A day or two later, Rusty Lee was out cutting up flowers once more when she was again stung by a bumble bee. This is no coincidence. Mommy begins to reflect while tending the site of the sting. "Bumble bees don't sting for no reason, because when they lose their stinger they die. " Mommy explains to Rusty Lee. "Do you think maybe the bees are stinging you because you are cutting up the flowers they need to make honey for their babies?", Mommy asks Rusty. "No!", Rusty Lee responds, hurt and indignant. How could her innocently cutting up flowers hurt anyone and how could anyone hurt her for a bit of innocent fun? "Maybe you could ask the bees tonight while you dream", Mommy tells Rusty Lee.
     The next morning, Mommy inquires of Rusty Lee; "While you were dreaming, did you ask the bees why they were stinging you?". "Yes", replied Rusty Lee. "They stung me because the wasps told them to because I was ruining their flowers so they couldn't make honey for their babies. The wasps wanted the bees to die so the wasps could eat the bees' babies.", Rusty Lee explained. "And did you tell the bees to stop stinging you?", Mommy asked Rusty Lee. "Yes", replied Rusty Lee. For the rest of that summer, Rusty Lee did not wastefully cut up flowers and was never again stung by a bumble bee.
     Sometimes in life, we can be a bumble bee-both a naive perpetrator and victim. We can be manipulated "for the good of the children" to harm others as well as ourselves, providing opportunity for harm to come to those we believe we are protecting with our choices.
     Sometimes we can be the child-like victim causing a bit of destruction without intending or realizing it. Due to this unintentionally destructive behavior, we draw harm to ourselves and make ourselves a tool in another's workings of harm to others.
    Sometimes we are the wasp, inciting others to harmful behavior to see to our own needs.
    Sometimes our choices, despite causing harm to ourselves and/or others inspire the asking of questions that lead to change, the interaction and education of two sides, a bit of insight to those ignorant of manipulation, and/or the adding of discernment to innocence contributing to the developement of another into maturity.
     Bumble bees can be more easily incited to attack a little girl picking flowers than a big man sheltered behind the armor of giant machinery tearing up entire fields of flowers every day. So sometimes in life we are dealt the injustice of harsher penalties for our minor naive crimes, innocently committed against humanity, while more violent criminals go without receiving any punishment at all.
     In the end, we all suffer and hopefully grow. The more we all grow, the less effective are the wasps' manipulations.  The more we all grow, the less we naively engage in destructive behavior. The more we all grow, the need for the existence of wasps to inspire growth diminishes. None of this is possible without open, honest communication. Sometimes that comes only when we assert ourselves when we are hurt. Sometimes that means allowing ourselves to be guided by those whose assesment of the situation hurts and offends us. Bad things don't always "just happen" to "good people". Where ever there is conflict, there is a good chance both sides need adjusting. And even a little girl's dreams can be powerful, having great meaning for all of humanity.