Bedtime with Mrs.
Honeybee.
Today,
In the Honeybee neighborhood,
We will continue our grand adventure all the way to the gates of the Honeybee Princess Academy.
Calling all princesses.
Next stop,
The Honeybee Princess Academy.
But this adventure is not for just any princess,
Mr.
Honeybee.
Of course not.
This adventure is for the Honeybee Princess.
And that's you.
All you have to do is close your eyes,
Get cozy,
And listen to the sound of my voice.
Mrs.
Honeybee will be your guide.
Let's begin.
Mr.
Honeybee and Harold get right to work on your magic wand in his garage,
While you,
Melody Bee,
And I head upstairs to my writing room,
Which also doubles as my sewing room if needed.
And needed it was.
You open the door to see the most beautiful gown hanging on a wooden hanger on one of the higher bookshelves.
The soft velvet and silk material sways in the warm breeze that comes in through the open window.
Melody Bee gasps at the beauty and surprise of it all.
Mrs.
Honeybee,
You made this?
I did.
Just for you,
My little Honeybee Princess.
It's in all of your favorite colors and materials.
I've been waiting so long to show you.
The hanger the dress is hung on is just as breathtaking as the dress.
You pause for a moment to take it all in as you take it in your hands.
It's so soft,
And the matching gloves will be so cozy.
Without another thought,
You rush to try it on and return to fanfare fitting of a princess.
The dress fits splendidly,
As do the gloves.
But something is missing.
Melody Bee buzzes in with a small purple pillow in her hands and a bejeweled tiara resting on top.
Each one of the jewels catches the sunlight from the open window and creates prisms of color that shine around the room.
Melody Bee gently places the tiara on your head,
And it fits like a charm.
I stand back to assess,
And it seems a couple more crucial items are missing.
You need princess shoes.
Should they be made out of glass?
That doesn't seem very comfy.
If only they could be made out of clouds.
That would be so perfect.
There are some low-hanging clouds out today,
But not many.
You think you can buzz up there to get some clouds for shoes?
I can try.
Melody Bee dutifully flies out the window in pursuit of Cloud Fluff.
I follow close behind,
Leaning on the windowsill,
Watching Melody Bee flutter.
From what you can see,
The clouds outside the window are a little far away.
Maybe it would be easier for Melody Bee to get to them if they were closer.
You look down at your hand,
Wondering for a moment,
Before waving and willing the clouds closer.
Melody Bee was already coming upon the cloud,
And with your help,
She buzzed right into the thick of it.
She disappeared momentarily,
But emerged again with handfuls of Cloud Fluff.
You join us at the open window,
Without either of us seeing what you did.
The window of my writing room looks out over the garden,
Which is in full bloom.
You get lost in the colors until the shoes are ready to try on.
With a sprinkle of transformation pollen,
The cloud shoes take form and look like glass,
But feel like clouds.
They slip right over your heel and feel so comfy.
You have a spring in your step that is new,
But you adjust quickly as you walk back and forth,
As if on a runway.
Mr.
Honeybee and Harold shout up to us from downstairs.
Your magic wand must be ready.
You lead the way down the stairs,
Step by step,
In your cloud shoes.
Mr.
Honeybee is holding out a golden magic wand that sparkles just as much as you do in your princess gown.
Melody Bee sprinkles a very thin layer of transformation pollen over it for good luck.
It feels a little heavier than you expect,
Because hidden within the golden star at the top is a built-in multi-tool,
So you always have anything you could possibly need.
A princess needs to be ready for anything.
With that,
We head straight to the Honeybee Princess Academy,
Because today is your first day of instruction.
The gates of the castle are just as spectacular as you imagine.
Two enormous stone walls are connected with a wrought iron gate that allows you to see into the lush royal gardens,
But not to pass through them.
Melody Bee doesn't understand the issue as she buzzes right through the narrow iron posts of the gate,
But Harold reminds her that the rest of us cannot simply fly in.
Oh,
That's right.
Harold jumps up against the iron gate,
But it doesn't budge.
The noise gets the attention of our host,
Who sees you and alerts the powers that be that the gate should be opened immediately.
The principal of the school adjusts his tie and straightens his cap,
To make sure he looks presentable for a celebrity.
He clears his throat,
Gets his wits about him,
And walks through the gate as they open for you.
He welcomes you excitedly onto the campus,
Which looks nothing like a campus where you'd expect classrooms.
There were opulent libraries lined floor to ceiling with books.
Where you'd expect gymnasiums,
There were ballrooms,
Archery ranges,
And even horse stables.
You can feel your eyes sparkle as you marvel at your new school.
Mr.
Honeybee asks if we all could possibly join you on your first day,
And he agrees.
Loved ones of the princesses usually ask that,
Actually.
He explains that they've set up a family gallery for when loved ones visit,
So they can join the princesses along their journey and cheer them on.
That's a key part of every princess' process,
Being surrounded by people who love them,
Before opening the ornate wooden door to your assigned classroom.
He pauses and looks back to you,
And thanks you for accepting their invitation.
The teacher inside is expecting you,
And everyone is so excited to meet you.
Mr.
Honeybee,
Melody Bee,
Harold,
And I take our seats in the gallery,
Filling the air with silent well-wishes and long-distance high-fives.
We know you are going to do great.
This classroom is another grand library,
With tall ceilings and walls lined with books.
The friendly teacher opens the curtains of the family gallery,
And our smiling faces shine from behind the glass.
We are joined with other family members of the other students in the class.
Everyone is so nice and welcoming that you feel like you're home,
With people who understand your special gifts and love you for them,
A place where you are so grateful to be.
Each pupil gets their own hand-carved wood desk,
Stocked with all you need.
As you take your seat,
Take a slow,
Deep breath in through your nose.
Feel happiness and charm swell in your chest with your breath.
Then,
Slowly,
Breathe all the way out through your mouth,
And pat down your princess gown so it lays nicely in your seat.
The teacher places a stack of books on your desk,
Each one elaborately decorated with gold-leaf lettering.
You peruse the pages and realize you've already read every single one of these books.
You scan the stack,
Thumb through the pages to make sure you're not mistaken,
And then pleasantly remember when you first read the books in front of you.
These are some of your favorites,
And as your teacher explains,
They are all required reading for princesses.
Looking around,
The other students wave hello,
Each one so happy to finally meet the one they've heard so much about.
After scanning the room,
You look back to where we all are cheering you on.
Melody B has made a sign and shouts as best she can through the glass,
Making a big scene of her support.
Realizing this,
Mr.
Honeybee helps her fold up her sign for now,
And the teacher begins her lesson plan.
When it comes time to answer the first question,
Your hand seems to raise itself,
Almost as excited as you are.
Question after question comes your way,
And you ace every single one.
When the whole class is stumped,
You wonder if it's better not to admit that you know the answer.
For the sake of morale,
The teacher lets the question hang in the room,
Unanswered,
While she turns her back to write something on the chalkboard.
Looking around,
The other students are whispering to each other,
Trying to figure out the answer.
No one seems to be having any luck.
They collectively give up as they look to see what the teacher is writing.
In perfect cursive,
The teacher writes,
Principles of Princessing,
And dots the I's with hearts.
The three principles she writes below are,
Stewardship,
Harmony,
And Honesty.
The word honesty flashes its letters at you,
And you know you should never pretend you don't know.
The world needs to know what you know.
If you know the answer,
You should say it with humility and confidence.
When the teacher again asks the challenging question,
You raise your hand and answer it with grace.
She nods quietly,
So proud of you,
And brings focus back to the principles on the board.
You look back to all of us cheering you on.
It's lucky this glass is thick,
Because we are a loud and proud audience for our little honeybee princess.
The teacher continues,
It is the job,
No,
The duty,
Of a princess to develop expertise in these three things as they represent the foundational work of princessing.
Here at the Honeybee Princess Academy,
You will develop your princess sensibilities.
Ways and habits that you already have will be honed and filtered out,
So you lead with them.
A princess is a steward,
Someone whose job is to take care to make sure everything that's needed is gotten and what's excessive is redirected.
A princess knows when enough is enough and also knows that to feel like you have enough is one step away from feeling the abundance at your fingertips.
At the core of the principle of stewardship is balance,
And that is the ultimate work of a princess.
Similarly,
We have harmony and honesty.
Balance is a delicate achievement that depends on each part being honest about what it can and cannot do.
We are all in charge of doing what we can do the best that we can do it.
By now,
The teacher is impassioned with this material,
As if on a stage,
What she's saying comes with enthusiastic gestures that make you excited to be a princess.
The teacher continues,
Then and only then can we have harmony through balanced and honest stewardship.
The class feels an audience's urge to clap after such a rousing lesson,
And the teacher bows in response just as the bell rings out from the bell tower.
Always remember,
Mrs.
Honeybee believes in you.
You are special,
And you are loved.
I can't wait to see you again.
