300 days of beauty, day 41 [bee blessed!]

As I mentioned, we've had a rough couple of months. We've been walking through grief, and walking along with my children as they grieve has been heart-wrenching. My son has struggled the most, but I've seen him forge his own path, his own personal way of engaging with his heartache. He showed me this picture that he took with my camera:

The teacher and friend he loved so much would sign all of her cards and letters with this phrase "Bee Blessed!" She loved the Lord. She loved bees. And she encouraged all of her students to write letters to her over the summers. She always wrote back--every letter, every time. D saved her letters and they are treasured.

As D processed through his grief, he grabbed our large bucket of marbles and constructed the phrase that reminded him of the teacher he loved so much. He did it privately, took my camera on his own, but later wanted to share what he had made. He had a smile on his face, even though it was touched with some bittersweet.

I'm not sure if beauty can truly shine without the presence of darkness and shadows. Can we appreciate spring without experiencing the barrenness of winter? Even though this picture doesn't "shout" spring, as I was flipping through pictures, I thought of our friend, Robin, who now experiences new life and "spring" fully. I also thought of bees and how every time we watch honeybees from our window, we can remember Robin--spring is coming!

Bee blessed!