HoneyBees

On the day I stopped drinking, a cloud of honeybees moved into my bathroom and began hiving under the tub. I’m neither allergic to nor afraid of bees, so this was no real big deal for me. But there sure were a lot of them!

They kept to themselves, humming sweetly during daylight and nesting quietly in candlelight. We got along well with mutual respect and with, I think, a dash of friendly curiosity.

I called in a local beekeeper to see what we could do about humanely rehoming the bees. After poking around the house, he said access to the tub hive would require HVAC removal, holes cut in the supporting floor under the bathtub, destruction, mayhem, etc.

In short – it would cost at least $5k and require a big roll-off duct tape. I knew this wouldn’t sit well with my landlord, so I had a little sit down with the bees.

I thanked them for the honor of their visit but could no longer promise them a safe home and work environment. It would be better for them to seek a new space where they were free to explore their bee-selves without the specter of extermination overshadowing their lives. I whispered to the bees and they heard. I heard, too. The bees were gone on the morning I joined my first LifeRing meeting.

I miss the bees, but I’m glad we’re all on our way to a better place.