To Need Rest

Hello friends,

Earlier this week, crouched down picking lettuces in my household’s planter boxes, I saw a bumblebee resting on a green leaf. Completely immobile, perhaps it just needed a moment before getting back to work, or heading to its burrow.

Or maybe it was cold, considering the gray skies and spring drizzle gently falling on my head. I snapped a quick photo, gathered the rest of my salad greens, and went back in the house.

After rinsing the lettuces, I thought, “I wonder if it is too cold and the bee is in distress?”

Now, it wasn’t that cold out, just chilly, and bumblebees are heartier about cold than other types of bee, as their bodies are more robust and covered in dense hairs they use for warmth. But, just in case, I grabbed some sugar water and headed back to the garden to see if the bee needed reviving.

The bee was gone. The lettuce leaves were bare of insect life.

Ah, I was right the first time. The bumblebee was just taking a rest.

How often do we allow ourselves to truly rest? There is always work to be done, chores, people or animals—or the planet itself—needing something, whether near or far away.

There are also myriad of distractions fracturing our attention and time. There is endless scrolling, or self-numbing, or worry. None of which are actual rest.

Perhaps this week, we can offer ourselves the gift of space and time to simply exist in this world. To quiet our bodies and minds. Just a moment. Maybe even every day.

Perhaps this week, we can take a lesson from the bumblebee resting on a lettuce leaf. We can give ourselves respite from whatever else is happening in our lives.

All creatures need some time to rest.

And that includes you. And me, too.

best wishes — Thorn

In the latest installment of Magic, Creativity, and Life, I talk with writer and psychic Mat Auryn! I hope you enjoy listening.

Many of you know I recently switched from Substack to beehiiv because of moderation issues. Well, beehiiv is…okay, but nothing ventured, nothing gained, right? This is just a heads up that we may be moving again. There is nothing you need to do though! Just wanted to let you know if things look different. Thanks as always for being here.