When my son was young, he suffered from terrible seasonal allergies. A friend in my Crown Point community suggested he eat a teaspoon of raw, local honey each day — the idea being that by eating small amounts of the local mix of nectar, he’d gradually build up his body’s defenses to the pollen causing his allergies. I decided to take it a step further and invest in a future hobby for him: beekeeping.

Over time, his interest in beekeeping faded, but I was hooked. What started with two bee boxes on my property has grown to 10 hives over the past eight years. It’s a lot of work — often dictated by the weather and how the nectar flows. Some years my work is rewarded with tons of honey. Other years are lean, and I leave what there is for the bees — they’ve worked for it, they should have it for the cold, harsh winter.

It's relaxing to spend time among my bees. It's settling to listen to them, to watch as they return to their hive and do their little waggle dance, their way of giving directions to other bees about where they can find the nectar needed to sustain their colony. This time of year, when everything is budding, the bees are content and incredibly docile. Yeah, I still get mad when they sting me. My love of honey — and the bees — makes it worth it.

I don’t understand everything about bees, but I think there is a lot they can teach us. Hives are a community: the bees must work together to survive and thrive. Each bee has its own role vital to the functioning of the hive, whether it be a nursing bee, a worker bee or the mighty queen. They are self-sufficient little creatures and take immaculate care of their home, which is practically sterile. If humans could learn to work this well together, we’d all be in a better place.

I love my community, and I see glimpses of that bee-like cooperation in my job at the Westport Health Center. I know most of the people who come in and out each day, and I strive to bring some brightness to their day and help them feel a little more comfortable. The way I see it, we’re all here to work together — and like bees, just try to make our community as healthy and strong as it can be.

Erin Duval is a clinic clerk at Westport Health Center, part of Elizabethtown Community Hospital. She has been with us since 2020.