Quietly, Tirelessly, Beautifully

 

The Quiet Triumph

At the end of a bee’s short life, there is no applause, no grand ceremony. Just the knowledge that they did their part to keep the hive alive, to move life forward. Parenthood is much the same. It is not always recognized. It is not always thanked. But it is transformative — for the child, for the parent, and for the future they carry forward.

We have and continue to transform with each day, each decision our children make, each interaction that we provide guidance and this will continue throughout our lives as parenting takes shape differently as our children gain independence, a voice of their own and a life of their own. I see this now as I am transitioning my own parenting style with my teens; one who is entering his senior high school year and one who will be ending his middle schol year in 8th grade this year. They each are exerting independence, making choices that shape their pathway forward in a world that seems scarier and yet more monitored than when I was a child. They have a grand future ahead and we will be smiling and happy for them.

So take heart. Like the honey bee, you are part of something bigger, something enduring. In the messy, beautiful work of raising children, you are teaching them to survive, to change, and ultimately, to thrive on their own.

And in that, there is no greater triumph.

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"The bee is more honored than other animals, not because she labors, but because she labors for others." — St. John Chrysostom

So do parents. Quietly, tirelessly, beautifully.