One day as I was practicing my swimming in the ocean for the open water  competition, I noticed there was a bee floating in the water at least 40 to 50 feet away from shore. I felt so sorry for him. I tried to catch  him with my hand but he kept slipping through my fingers. I looked at him from under the water and I could see that he was still alive. I knew I had to try to save him. There was no way he could get out by himself. He was surely doomed. I tried again but this time I used both hands to catch him. In order to do this , I had to tread water hard enough to lift me up in the air, then I cupped my hands and slowly let the water drain through my fingers trying gently to keep the bee safe while not letting him slip back in the water. He did slip back into the water .  I repeated this technique 2 more times before he was safe and dry in my hand.  As soon as I knew I had him I headed for shore. I had to swim with my right hand up and out of the water keeping him safe.

He started crawling all over my hand. I tried to swim quickly because I was so afraid that he would crawl right off and land in the water again. Soon he did just that! “Oh no! I have to find him! I have to save him ! We were so close!” I thought. I turned around and headed back out . I began looking for him. I looked everywhere. No bee . I decided to go down under water and look up . It was there that I found him again. I grabbed him quickly as I had done before. He looked more water logged this time but at least he was still alive. This time we made it to shore and I was able to place him on safe ground. As I started to walk away, I had a “prompting” or a “ thought” . Somehow the bee found himself in a situation that had taken him out to sea way out over his head and probably felt that he was drowning and hopeless and especially  all alone .  The “ prompting “ continued with a reminder that we all find ourselves in this situation at one time or another by our own decisions or circumstances beyond our control and somehow I just “happened “ to be there at that time and I was able to reach out and save him. Even when he made the decision to crawl off of my hand and landed back in the water, I again found him and brought him to safety. 

I knew that this scenario with the bee was much greater than just me being there in time to save him. It was a message to remind me that no matter how lost or sad, or desperate or hopeless we  might feel , we are not alone and somehow a “ hand” or someone may be sent to reach out and help each one of us . I was so happy that I could be used to save that little bee but more importantly I was so deeply touched by this message . A message that I know could probably help each and every one of us  at some time in our lives .