Secret Life Of Bees Quite the Buzz!

As you all know, I waited and waited for my favorite book to come out on the big screen! I even convinced my friend to go with me to this total chic flick on the opening night! It was all set, and I could have not been more ready for the evening to get there last Friday. But then, when I called in to find out the exact time, I was served a rude awakening on a cold plate! The Secret Life of Bee's would NOT be shown in Emporia! Needless to say, my heart was crushed, but not for long. For those of you who know me, you know that when it comes to something I have my heart set on, I am one stubborn lady! With that said, I started calling every movie theater possible...starting with the closest and working my way out. As it turns out, this movie was on a limited release (another way of saying they show it where they want and it makes it difficult for the small town people such as myself). But the movie theater in Topeka, KS was showing it at 9:30. I took one look at my clock, called my friend and told her she needed to fly over and we were off! Making it just in time to grab a coke and nachos before ducking into the packed theater.

As the lights dimmed, and the screen flickered, I couldn't help but feel the excitement rush through my veins. Almost 5 years have passed since I pulled that book out of the birthday bag that held it; and as the commercials carried on, I had different pictures flashing on the screen. Because all of a sudden, I remembered just why that book was so important to me!

I briefly mentioned in the last related post that the book was a gift to me on my 16th birthday. However the book was given as much more than a gift; it came in the form of a lesson, and a gift from the heart that created a memory that still to this day makes my heart shine on even the cloudiest of days. The book was given to me as a reminder.... and what I realized as I watched the movie, was that I had begun to forget those important lessons as the years have passed. So in a way, the book making it to film was almost like it was meant to be. Like in some weird, unexplainable way....the universe was pulling at all its strings to say "hey, yeah you! don't forget!" No, the gift giver had nothing to do with the book coming out on film, or any control over the situation at all.... but the connection was so incredibly strong. I haven't talked to the gift giver in 3 and a half years. But regardless, the lessons she taught me, the memories... they are still there.

So, stepping away from sappiness! What were those lessons you may ask?

So what were these lessons? The way they were taught to me, they came in quotes. Quotes that were repeated to me and talked about and applied in lessons when the times were just right. So here are a few of my favorite and most memorable quotes that you can take your own lesson from (quotes from the novel Secret Life of Bees," written by Sue Monk Kidd):

1. "Bee yard etiquette: ... the world is really one big bee yard, and the same rules work fine in both places: Don't be afraid, as no life-loving bee wants to sting you. Still, don't be an idiot; wear long sleeves and long pants. Don't swat. Don't even think about swatting. If you feel angry, whistle. Anger agitates, while whistling melts a bee's temper. Act like you know what you're doing, even if you don't. Above all, send the bees love. Every little thing wants to be loved."
2. "... some things don't matter much. Like the color of a house. How big is that in the overall scheme of life? But lifting a person's heart--now, that matters. The whole problem with people is ... they know what matters, but they don't choose it... The hardest thing on earth is choosing what matters."
3. "Every human being on the face of the earth has a steel plate in his head, but if you lie down now and then and get still as you can, it will slide open like elevator doors, letting in all the secret thoughts that have been standing around so patiently, pushing the button for a ride to the top. The real troubles in life happen when those hidden doors stay closed for too long"
4. "... something everybody wants is for someone to see the hurt done to them and set it down like it matters."
5. "... when it's time to die, die, and when it's time to live, live. Don't sort-of-maybe live, but live like you're going all out, like you're not afraid (of dying)."
6. "There's a fullness of time for things... You have to know when to prod and when to be quiet, when to let things take their course."
7. "Knowing can be a curse on a person's life. I'd traded in a pack of lies for a pack of truth and I didn't know which one was heavier. Which one took the most strength to carry around? It was a ridiculous question, though, because once you know the truth, you can't ever go back and pick up your suitcase of lies. Heavier or not, the truth is yours now."
8. "It is the peculiar nature of the world to go on spinning no matter what sort of heartbreak is happening."
9. "Regrets don't help anything ..."
10. "There is nothing perfect. There is only life"
11. "... the only purpose grand enough for a human life... is not just to love--but to persist in love."
12. “Most people don't have any idea about all the complicated life going on inside a hive. Bees have a secret life we don't know anything about.”
13. “No person is perfect… we need to let the puzzle of the human heart just be what it is.”
14. "Someone who thinks death is the scariest thing doesn't know a thing about life."
15. "After you get stung, you can't get unstung no matter how much you whine about it."
16. "I wanted to know what happened when two people felt it. Would it divide the hurt in two, make it lighter to bear, the way feeling someone's joy seemed to double it?"
17. "You have to find a mother inside yourself. We all do. Even if we already have a mother, we still have to find this part of ourselves inside...That's the only purpose grand enough for a human life. Not just to love - but to persist in love."
18. "It was the first time I'd ever said the words to another person, and the sound of them broke open my heart."
19. "Honeybees depend not only on physical contact with the colony, but also require it's social companionship and support. Isolate a honeybee from her sisters and she will soon die."

I could go into a long drawn out explanation about why each quote is special. What the amazing meaning is behind each one. But it would be pointless for me to do so. What is so great from this book; from these quotes, is that the reader can interpret them at will and apply them as needed to their own lives. The reason these lessons, and this story meant so much to me was because I could apply them in a special way with my life. A different reader would see an entirely different meaning behind every word! But I will say this...This story is an amazing journey that takes the reader down a path of many different topics . It points out that strong friendships aren't made based on skin color, age, or backgrounds; and on a larger scale...it points out that no matter what you are going through in life, no matter how many fights, disagreements or moments when you think things are ruined for sure... true friendship will lead you through if you are strong enough and have faith. Furthermore, is stresses that no one has to live their life alone. Like the bees, we move through life forming in little colonies. And as Lily so clearly learned, family doesn't have to have anything to do with genetics and life doesn't have to make sense! Sometimes, it's about the journey, not the destination. Just remember the proper "Bee Etiquette," and have a little faith and you will be ok!