Learning a Lesson

The principles of Reiki, a healing energy process for those of you who are unaware, states this:

Just for today...
...don't be angry
...don't worry
...be appreciative
...work hard on yourself
...be kind to others

So today, as the kick start to my Holistic Therapist goal, I was up at 5.45 a.m to do a meditation based on this principle.

It was a bit of challenge because Pandora thought it highly entertaining to wait until I was 'in the zone' and then bite me for some attention. So the meditation was a bit stop - ouch - start- stop-ouch -start but I managed to maintain the principles before me, including not getting angry at said cat.

However, knowing the Universal Force as I do, I knew I was going to face a day of being challenged on these principles. And by ten o'clock I was out in the garden swearing at the bindweed that was becoming way too familiar with my lavender which, I have to say, has been LUSCIOUS this year! Bad bindweed! Angry Denise.

And by twelve o'clock I was thrown into a worrisome panic when, on performing a hive inspection, we found 2 sealed Queen cells. Oh blimey, that wasn't good.
'HOWDIDIMISSTHOSELASTWEEK??' I shrieked.
'I missed them too,' said Andy. 'And given how many bees there are and how good bees are at hiding things, we have to accept that no matter how careful we are, these things do happen and that's how we learn.'

Which I knew to be true, but because I am a perfectionist who is very hard on herself sometimes, I felt an immediate bee-keeping failure. And now a Reiki failure because I immediately started to worry aboubt our colony deciding to swarm.

Still, we went inside, consulted various book, phoned a few people and the decision was taken to cut out the Queen cells which would buy us some time to prepare for an artificial swarm if need be, which we don't really want to do. But, after a very anxious and sweaty hour and a half we are very much at the state of having to sit and wait until next weekend. As an extra precautionary measure we've removed the Queen excluder from between the brood box and the super we added last week (which the bees ignored as a good space to use), as it seems the excluder may have deterred the workers expanding upwards. This means we are creating a brood and a half - again, not a great solution, but a solution nonetheless.

Will we have a swarm by next weekend? Blowed if I know, but I'm trying not to worry, and am talking myself into the theory that the bees are doing what is right for them and not deliberately trying to annoy us.

Andy, sensing my angst, took me into town for lunch, so I was able to demostrate an act of appreciativeness, because it's always very lovely to be taken out for lunch. I was also appreciative that Andy tolerated a visit to a ceramics fayre at the local Priory, which happens every year and is a mini-highlight of my summer, but not Andy's.

Principle Number 4 - working hard on myself. Probably not as well executed as it could have been although I've been giving a lot of thought to my future. I should have done some study, but I fell asleep on the sofa for an hour instead. But the night is still young so time for study after blogging.

And being kind to people? Well, I always try to do that, although sometimes I am not very kind in my thoughts. I have made a conscious effort to avoid uncharitable thoughts today, even when I saw one of those four wheeled motorbikes being driven wildely and noisily along the road topped by a couple of morons sans crash helmets...see...I just can't help it. Sorry about the 'morons' bit.

So what has happened today? Humility, I think, in the face of a potential bee-keeping cock-up. And simple enjoyment of a quiet lunch with my very tolerant and indulgent husband. And learning to be calm and stand back and let all things natural just be.

Except the bindweed. I ripped that out straight away.

Little steps to start along the Reiki pathway, I think. Little steps. Just for today.