Aging: Are You Less Fearful?

I was bustling around my kitchen, listening to the sounds of a lawn mower though my open window. (I’m in England where screens are not typical, so when I say open, I mean open.) I thought to myself, “Ah, spring is here…” and kept working away while the sound grew more intense. Still no biggie, as I thought it must be a motorbike… until I saw my giant friend hovering outside my window: the biggest bumble bee I think I’ve seen in my life. 

Fears aside, he was a beauty. Instead of the yellow and black stripes, he had a VERY orange fuzzy tail that was quite elegant. But I didn’t need that elegance in my kitchen. I ran as fast as I could and shut the window, leaving a splotch on the pane since my hands were covered in dough. But all was well, right? My little buddy was in his natural habitat.

However, (you knew this was coming…) soon I heard the lawn mower start up again, and it dawned on me that earlier I had opened another window in the side room. I sprung to it and found my little bombus lapidaries (yes, I looked it up) stressed out, angrily buzzing up near my ceiling.

To make a long story short, I was able to carefully capture him and let him out through the window. I used a giant glass and a piece of cardboard. I hope it was not too traumatic, and my method didn’t harm him. Once the adrenaline stopped pumping I felt that tiny rush of triumph.

The amazing thing about aging?

Aging allows us to conquer fears. Probably not all of them, even though I wish I could say differently. But over time, constant exposure to the bees and wasps has lessened my fear and allowed me to gain knowledge. I can react with more confidence than I would have years ago. I would have been terrified of that bee when I was little.
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And the same is for you. I think it’s easy to take for granted how we’ve changed through the years, since we can’t see something like “courage” as a physical shape right in front of us. But it’s happening. And sure, it signals aging, but also growth. Growth we should be proud of, even when it’s small in size – like a bumble bee. 

LOVE, AUNTIE