Bees and the Blossoms

(Author's Note: If you don't want to take too much time to read this rambling, then go right ahead and skip on down to the 5th paragraph to read the primary topic at hand)

Drawing to a close to Hurston's novel Their Eyes Were Watching God and reviewing it one last time for the test helped to realize some of the most significant qualities of this wonderfully romantic novel in a way no one could have expected it to occur. All it comes back to is the pear tree that Janie stood at towards the beginning of her tale.

One is inclined to think, given a lot of romantic context between the bee and the blossoms, that what Janie had been searching for all along was love with another man. Time and time again she continually seeks out a certain fulfillment her heart had been craving, and time and time again she always thinks that her "ship over the horizon" lied within the presence of another man. Jody's ambitious personality persuaded her that she could have achieved ambitions of her own, but all she finds is pure suppression by his arrogant hands. However, it is by her voice and her strong will that she is able to topple the will of Jody and ultimately bring him to his undignified downfall. Therefore, Jody played an excellent role in the realization of her own desires and what she truly wanted for herself and the kind of "love" that she desired.

Afterwards, it is by Tea Cake's carefree, unconcerned, and accepting attitude toward Janie that further helps her to fully know the passions she had been seeking: independence from the social restraints that held her down. Playin' checkers, goin' nightly fishin', Tea Cake, in a similar manner to Jody, became of great significance to the enlightenment of her spirit, so much so that she could have never killed Tea Cake out of malice for him, but only of the will to defend herself and the newfound liberty her heart was gifted with.

Now, when the story draws to a close, it is certain that she ultimately found the harmonious connection she sought out in the same way a bee makes its way towards a tree blossom. It is easy to presume that it was a romantic connection she had ultimately desired and felt at peace when Janie feels as one with Tea Cake's spirit. However, there is hope within another perspective of such a solemn outcome.

Janie was never the blossom on the tree. She was the bee, given the liberty to fly at its own will, go where it will, and make of her own future as she will. Unconcerned for her own beauty and how other people saw her, she had no need for the vivid colors of a flower. It took a couple "blossoms" for her to pursue: one whose golden tints were valued as the sun, and another whose dark blue hues reflected its own ambitions and power; but, she ultimately found the one she could shower herself with a pleasant aroma whose colors were like those of the sunset where sky meets sea on the horizon, and waiting on it, her ship of the dreams that had been slowly drawn towards her mighty hands. And that dream: a free spirit that could feel independent and unbound wherever she may be. Whenever she was grasped tightly, all it took was the sting of her words filled with resolve to be set loose once more. Unlike all the others, who felt as flowers bound to the earth or to a tree rooted to the ground, she was born with wings to take flight and go where her heart called, prepared to face the world and its ordeals armed with only the strength of her soul.

It's not everyday where people get to realize the strength in their soul and words, and the worthlessness of what people consider to be the proper ideal for the world. Everybody is going to come to a point in their life where they need to make up their mind: to either remain where it stands, showing only its colors in the warmth of day and a barren stem during the harsh freeze of winter, or to become a bee, prepared to risk everything to keep on flying towards their destination.

The bottom line is: there's no need to worry about the opinions and ideals of others when you can remain yourself and keep on flying every inch closer to where you want to be. Make up your mind about where your greater importance lies: within other people's regards about the color of your petals that are soon to fade someday, or with where you want to be and how you choose to confront the world. You'd be surprised how much intimidation one can cause armed with just a mere stinger.

A Wing by Any Other Name Would Look Just as Pure...

Reading from "A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings" has done a lot to show some philosophical insight into how human nature is portrayed when confronted with something that appears out of the ordinary in contrast to their daily lives. To have treated a divine being that should have been given spiritual reverence with such indifference and disregard to his own pain appears so contradictory to what one could believe should happen.

Not to bring religion into the discussion, but it does distinctly remind one of the story of Jesus, how He came into this world, and how he was treated. Unlike any other orthodox future king born in the confines of a palace, Jesus was born in a smelly stable meant to feed livestock. Treated with curious reverence by some, then pursued to be killed by King Herod. Then it comes down to His ministry, after having gathered a plethora of followers, to suddenly have most of them turn their backs on him when he stood trial and was crucified on the cross, mocking him as he hung in unimaginable pain. But then arose from the grave in a glory ever so brilliant, then returning from whence He came back into Heaven.

The bottom line is that He appeared as a human, just like anyone else, except for His ability to perform miracles. In comparison to the old man with the wings, his wings were so filthy and littered with "stellar parasites." He appeared to be so human-like, so close to reality, so much so that the doctor who examined him had commented that his wings were so natural that he couldn't explain "why no one else had them." And yet, he wasn't fully human justified by his wings. Rising in brilliance, it wasn't until he floated away when the woman of the house began to see him for the wonder who he was.

All comparisons aside, the story itself kind of displays this surreal, yet ironic, coexistence between the good will of some people, alongside with the cruelty of others. The old man was treated poorly, and yet the couple still felt accountable to him to provide him at least with some degree of shelter. However, he was used by the couple as a sort of exchange for a prosperous flow of money. Pelted, beaten, burned, there was only mockery in wait for him. How could he even decide to still stay with the couple if he endured such pain?

Compassion. I believe it was his intent from the very moment he fell from the heavens to be able to help the couple out of their poverty. He was ridiculed for how natural he appeared to everyone else, yet was never fully human. Despite all such scorn, he stuck around to be exhibited as this extraordinary circus animal, while the couple was able to live the good life through the money they amounted through his presence.

Isn't it easy to agree that many people take for granted the wonders that happen in their lives and the blessings they receive as a result of those wonder? Nearly everything that happens in a life always appears to be ordinary among people. But what if one of those seemingly ordinary things had more extraordinary quality than they first believed? One of the greatest things about ordinary life is that there is always some deeper significance to everything that occurs in it. People ought to be more careful about the things they take for granted and the things they find to be the most precious, valuable, and mysterious to them. It's just one of the many forms of enjoyment and humor that people find in this world.

Therefore, instead of scorning every little thing that happens to be annoyingly ordinary, they should be able to look beyond what it appears to be in turn for its true value and wonder. Who knows, they might just find several "angels" out of the smallest occurrences in their lives.

Can you find your angels?

(Again, not to be religious, but I thought this fit in so well with the story I just had to add it in somewhere)
Hebrews 13:2 (NLT)- "Don't forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!"