The Queen Bee's To-do List
The Queen Bee’s To-do-list
By Matthew DelaFuente
When a bee gets busy, it becomes a busy bee.
And it becomes as stressed as a bee can be.
In a hive there’s much to get done,
So many chores, with little to no fun.
One bee, however, was the busiest of all.
She had so much to do, her to-do-list was tall.
She was the queen bee, the mother of all,
But she did not feel like a queen with her to-do-list so tall.
She was in charge feeding and caring for her bees,
Keeping up the hive work and guarding the trees.
Other bees would come to her with concerns, fears and doubts.
When things didn’t go right, they would shout and shout and shout,
“We need this and we need that!”
“Hold on one minute,” she would say, “let me find where my to-do-list is at”.
After so much whining all day and night,
She went into her bedroom and started to cry.
With so much to do, she didn’t know where to start.
All the while, her family of bees was growing apart.
At the height of her weep, before she gave in,
A thought entered her mind and she reached for a pen.
“Why stress myself all day and night
And end my day with no delight?
There is a simple solution
That will end all this confusion.
Early in the morning, when I start my day
I will make my list and then delegate!”
She put down her pen and walked out of the room.
The hand on the clock was almost to noon.
“Quick, hurry! There can be no delay!
There are things to get done before the end of the day!”
She stepped out her room to gather the bees.
Energy flowed from her head to her knees.
“Attention, there is much to get done
But this time I will include everyone!
I will assign each bee something to do
And we will all work together until our job is through.
And at the end of the day, when the jobs are done
Each of us will have plenty of time for fun.”
At the end of the speech the bees gave a shout,
But this time there was unity and joy throughout.
The queen bee assigned the bees into groups.
Some collected nectar, and others were troops.
The nectar collectors brought back ingredients for food
While the hive keepers stored it or put it to use.
The workers were in charge of building the hive
While the soldier bees made sure every bee stayed alive.
The queen bee, however, had the most important task
Because without her, none of this would last.
Her job was to care for and nurture her bees
Because love was one of their most basic needs.
At the end of the day, when everything was done
The bees had already had plenty of fun.
When the bees worked together throughout the day
Work, all of a sudden, had turned into play.
As the queen bee put all her bees to bed
She told herself, in the back of her head
“From now on, I will begin each day
By making my to-do-list with things I will delegate!
Then I can focus on what’s important to me
Which starts with number one, my family of bees.”