A New Kind of Accomplishment

 I’ve worn many hats in my life; author, entrepreneur, speaker, and of course, mother; but nothing quite prepared me for the unexpected pride I felt the first time I made honey as a beekeeper.

Beekeeping began as a curiosity. I was drawn to it for its rhythm, its quiet lessons, and the humble way it supports life. There’s something deeply grounding about tending to bees; creatures so small, yet so essential. At first, it was overwhelming: the gear, the buzzing intensity, the patience required to learn their language. But with each visit to the hive, I grew more confident, more connected.

Then came the day I harvested honey for the first time.

Let me be honest; it was not easy work. It was hard, sticky, and at times painful. You have to use smoke to calm the bees just enough to safely remove the trays from the hives. Those trays are heavy and covered in buzzing workers not too happy about you taking their hard-earned honey. From there, I took the trays to a hand-made machine we use to extract the honey. The honey flows into a bucket, and only then can we finally fill the jars. I harvested twice; once in the spring and again at the end of August. And yes, I got stung. More than once. 

 Beekeeping will humble you quickly.  

But when I held those first jars in my hands, it was all worth it.

That honey is now bottled and available for purchase at my store' under a name that means the world to me: Marj-E-Bees. The name was lovingly created by my sister, inspired by my name, Marjorie, and the initial “E” from my husband’s name. And I’m proud to say, customers love it. They keep coming back not just for the taste, but for the story behind it.

Aside from becoming a mother, I hadn’t felt that kind of deep, quiet accomplishment in a long time. It reminded me that fulfillment doesn’t always come in grand, visible achievements. Sometimes, it’s in the sweat, the sting, the mess; the effort behind the scenes that yields the sweetest reward.

Beekeeping taught me that success isn’t always about doing more, it’s about doing something meaningful. 

That’s a message I now carry into every part of my work: helping others recognize the hidden triumphs in their own lives, the value in patience, and the power of quiet persistence.

The honey I made is sweet;  Yes, but the real harvest is the strength and simplicity it awakened in me.