Long before my family began bottling Cobbs Dell Road Honey, beekeeping was already woven into our family's legacy. What started as my great-grandfather's search to mend my great-grandmother's hay fever grew into something far greater. After researching possible treatments, he discovered that honey was believed to help with the allergies and decided to take matters into his own hands. Although he was unsuccessful in relieving my great-grandmother's allergies, the hobby itself was a huge success. He eventually passed his knowledge on to my grandfather, Dr. Glenn Cobbs, and from there beekeeping became a lasting family tradition and a symbol of the values we hold dear. Here are a few lessons that have stuck with me.
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Community Creates Something Sweet
A hive succeeds because every bee has a role.
To me, bees represent community and togetherness. They are fascinating in the way they work together, communicate, and navigate the world around them. Thousands of them work together toward a common purpose, creating something far greater than any one bee could achieve alone. The older I get, the more I realize that the lessons of the hive extend far beyond the sweet honey outcome.
When I think about our family's honey tradition, I don't think first of the honey itself, tempting as it is, but I think more about the people gathered around the hive; the friends, neighbors, and family members who come together to share sweet memories of such a unique experience. Those moments of connection are what make the tradition meaningful. In many ways, bees and their hive are a good reminder that life's best things are rarely accomplished alone.
2. Keep Close to the Natural World
Beekeepers notice things in nature that others often miss.
The first blooms of spring, the fragrance of sweet florals drifting through the air, the behavioral changes of the hive. The subtle signs that another season is underway.
Maybe that's why I'm always drawn to objects that bring the garden indoors. A vase filled with Solomon’s Seal and Alabama Croton (my late grandmother’s favorite plants that overtook her garden), a pair of beeswax candlesticks, or a trug of herbs nestled on the kitchen counter. They help us stay connected to the natural world around us.
3. Learn To Adapt
One of the most interesting things about bees is their ability to adapt.
Bees and their hives are constantly responding to changing conditions. Weather shifts, hive abandonments, invasive species, parasites, and challenges sometimes present without warning. Yet the colony adapts. They respond to changing conditions and continue working together to ensure the longevity of the hive. After all, they are resilient survivors that have adapted and thrived through more than 120 million years of the world's constant changes.
My grandfather admired that resilience, seeing in it a reflection of his own. He understood that a beekeeping victory didn't come from controlling nature but from learning to work alongside it and to keep his knees bent through it all. The best beekeepers observe and remain flexible when bad (and good!) circumstances arise.
Life rarely unfolds according to plan, and the ability to adapt is often more valuable than the ability to predict.
4. Grow Through Curiosity
One thing I admire most about my grandfather is his yearning for learning.
Even after a successful career in medicine, he remained eager to acquire new knowledge in different fields. Beekeeping became one of his greatest passions because there was always something new to discover. Every season brought different challenges, different blooms, and different lessons from the hive.
The bees reminded him that mastery is not a single triumph but rather an accumulation of persistence and growth. There is always another question to ask, another skill to develop, and another opportunity to gain. I hope to always carry the teachings and wisdom of the bees with me like he has throughout his life.
