2025: The Year in Review

My dad often reminds me that "the days are long, but the years are short." That seems especially true of late. Another year of life and beekeeping has come and gone; and while 2025 has been a time of great joy and celebration, it has also been a year of profound loss. I said goodbye to several dear friends and mentors and have watched others struggle in unimaginable ways. When one is young, it seems trite to be reminded to count one's daily blessings while they last. With time, the warning seems lamentably prescient.

What we do with our time is, of course, a matter of choice. We either move forward or backwards. Standing still isn't really a viable option. And as I try to make sense of it all, I am truly lucky to have the little honey bees as guides. Working with them has provided a refuge. Learning their ways has inspired me. Sharing their wisdom has brought great joy. We should all have bees--either real or metaphorical--creatures, dreams, people, or ideas that fuel our purpose, comfort, curiosity, and meaning. Bees have kept me going forward in troubled times. May your "bees" offer you the same--now and in all that the new year brings your way.

Here are some of my more fond memories from the past year with my furry-eyeballed little friends. Enjoy, and many blessings to you and yours in 2026!

~Ed and the Bees