Through my life journeys and lessons I have been taught to appreciate the small things in life and to thank those who care. Lily Owens, from The Secret Life of Bees shows the same motivation even though she had to live with a devastating tragedy of loosing her mother at an early age. Lily was only four years of age when her mother was killed, even though she was too young to understand what happened, this event haunted her all through the years till she turned fourteen.
When she was told by her father T-Ray that it was her who accidentally killed her mother, she couldnt live with the thought which was what led to her to her journey towards love and forgiveness. My own journey has very few similarities to Lilys journey but what she found in end is what I had all my life which is the love and support of family and friends.
In the novel Lily Owens loses her mother at an early age of four.
During her journey she finds comfort and support in the women that she meets. Throughout the book Lily goes through many changes because of the impact of the motherly figures of the Black Mary, Rosaleen, and the Calendar sisters. As I was growing up my mother and my sisters supported me and showered me with love starting from when I took my first steps to when I got my first bra, and to this day they still do, my family and I are very close and we all believe Jesus Christ died for our sins.
We attend church every Sunday morning and evening. When times are tough and it seems like no one understands you we know who to turn to and we know He is always there with us with wide open arms. Our Savior promises us that if we follow his commandments our reward is eternal life, which is my journey and my destination. One of the archetypes that occurred in both journeys, mine and Lilys is The Mentors, we both have female mentors who love and support us. It would be interesting to meet Lily and all her mentors; we would have a blast sharing our religious similarities.
If ever in life me and Lily Owens were to meet, although we dont have a lot in common it would not be difficult to understand one another because we both moved from the places we were raised, our home towns. As children we get used to our home even if its not the best place, but once we move we can see all the possibilities that are out there for us. Another surprising similarity is that we both helped out owners of honey business. Lily worked for August who had many bee houses and was running a very successful business, while I helped my dad my dad with just three bee houses in our backyard. My job was to feed the bees and fill up jars of honey. Despite the differences me and Lily Owens would make great friends, but I would never be able to share the grief with her of loosing a mother.
Lily was growing up with without a mom to teach her all the little things you absolutely need to know. I could not imagine her your years, everything I know including cooking, cleaning, sewing and much more were taught to me by my mother. Considering Im from a family of nine kids, Lily must have been very lonely being the only daughter. The Brightside is that her dad owned a housekeeper, Rosaleen, who became her best friend. Now a days you dont see many people own a housekeepe, actually no one that I know owns one. One big dirrerence between me and Lily is that when she was very young Lily accidentally shot her mother, Deborah, now that is something I would not of been able to live with. Knowing how cruel her father T-Ray was we do not know for sure if it was Lily that pulled the trigger or T-Ray just placed that into Lilys young mind to avoid his own consequences. Either way Lily let go of her fear and guilt by being taught to live life to the fullest.
Everyone of us have heard the term live each day as if it were your last and that is the type of example the Calendar sisters set for Lily when she came to live with them, to enjoy everyday of freedom. Although my journey is very different from Lilys I have come to a conclusion that we both get the same lessons out of them. Since Lily has know Rosaleen, her housekeeper, a long time she is comfortable expressing herself around Rosaleen and knows that she will listen to her problems and insecurities. For example when Lily said I was the only one who knew that despite her sharp ways, her heart was more tender than a flower skin and she loved me beyond reason (pg.11). Rosaleen and Lily have a connection that me and my mother have. By the end of this novel Lily realized she had many mother to look up to: All these mothers. I have more mothers than eight girls off the street. They are moons shinning over me (pg. 302). Lily was lucky to have the love and support of the many women that are in her life.
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