It’s a cold day here in Florida.  Outside, the sun is shining and the bees are buzzing in anticipation of the nectar that they will find. They are focused and determined in their mission to pick up pollen from flowers and spread it around thereby helping plants reproduce and produce fruits for the world. 

Their purpose in life appears simple and yet their impact is profound and important. 

Namely one of the greatest pollinators of the world, they help provide food security.

Our lives are like the work of the bees. We all have a part to play. Whether it is foraging by working to make money or providing brood care as a mom and helping raise the next generation, it’s important work.

A time to rise

Helping out the community is also important work. 

Earlier this month, I travelled to Philadelphia to celebrate International Women’s Day. An annual fundraising event organized by the Khmers Kampuchea-Krom Federation (KKF) Chapter in Philadelphia, I had the opportunity to connect, inspire and empower young girls and women to take a lead in the community and make an impact on the world.

“The youth are the future. We trust and believe in you.” – Kim

These words of hope were spoken to me by an elder of the community that night. He was sitting at a round table at the back of the restaurant. I noticed a RearHoo Chap Chan pin on suit and decided to stop by and say hello.

I learned that Mr. Kim was part of the group of men who gathered to form the Khmer Kampuchea Krom Association of Canada decades ago in the basement of a house in Toronto, Canada. 

He, like many of our Khmer-Krom elders including my father, fled their motherland of Kampuchea-Krom in search of a better life.  A life without fear and prosecution. One that they could thrive and not just survived. 

Even as they navigated the new language and social norms of the first world country, they never forgot where they came from or the reason they left everything behind. 

Like bees and their important role in helping to pollinate plants and crops, the elder had a deep calling. For justice. For awareness. They needed the world to know who the Khmer-Krom people were and how much they had suffered under the colonization of Vietnam.  

They found a purpose and rallied to organize the first convention on Khmer-Krom in 1985 in New York City. In 1996, the KKF was named and have existed since to advocate for the rights and recognition of the Khmer-Krom people as Indigenous peoples of the Mekong Delta and surrounding areas. 

“Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth.” -Muhammad Ali

It was the stories of my father and elders that has and continue to inspire me in this advocacy work to this day.

A time to rest

With purpose comes sacrifice. There are moments when I am not sure if I can do it all. The full time job I needed hold to survive, the exhausting and yet crucial role of a mum to raise the next generation. And to answer the persistent calling and needs of our community. 

When the buzzing is too loud and I am feeling overwhelmed, I find myself seeking a moment to rest. 

Spring isn’t just about waking up and doing all the work, even if it feels important. It is a time to live in the moment. To feel the simple warmth of the sun and smell the fresh cut grass. And admire the beauty of newly bloomed flowers.

While we are like bees in so many ways, we are only human and need some down time. Some bees rest, while other bees work. Only together can we build a successful colony and better world.

Are you in a similar place? How do you balance all that you have to juggle?