Captain's Blog, Entry #9

Part 1 of 3: The Discovery

My fellow travelers,

During a recent voyage through the largely unexplored corners of my imagination, I stumbled upon a most remarkable publication: Adriftapedia. This rare and elusive encyclopedia appears to have a circulation somewhere between "extremely limited" and "entirely fictional."

Tucked within its weathered pages was an entry that immediately caught my attention. In fact, I found myself nodding along so enthusiastically that I nearly spilled my morning coffee. The entry described a newly identified classification of being known as the “They-Bee”.

After careful review, extensive contemplation, and absolutely no scientific peer review whatsoever, I felt compelled to share this important discovery with my crew. It is my hope that you may recognize a bit of yourself within its description or perhaps identify a fellow They-Bee quietly buzzing about in the wild.

For the benefit of future generations, I have reproduced the entry below.

                                              Part 2 of 3: Personal Encyclopedia Entry

They-Bee
Terms and Definitions

They-Bee (n.)

A brand-new concept for identity while being adrift (or even when you’re not, if it fits, wear it!). A They-Bee is non-binary in relationship status: not single, not divorced, not attached, not widowed. Not defined by absence, not defined by attachment, not waiting to be redefined. It is the emergence of oneself, stepping into earned wisdom, power, and confidence, armored in kindness and grace gained through surviving the depths of love and loss, and resilience.

They (n.)
The many selves that live under one umbrella of being. In my case: the wife, the mother, the lover, the nana, the caretaker, the artist, the appraiser, the friend, the warrior. Each “They” was birthed through love, responsibility, and sacrifice of self, not schizophrenia, but the true canopy of a life woven for and with others.

The “They” is not accidental.
Each one of my “They’s” was born in its own season, through love and sacrifice.

• The wife was born when I said yes to walking beside another, not just in sunshine but through storms. She learned the quiet art of deflection, of lifting another’s pride, loyalty, and caregiving to a bittersweet end.
• The mother was born with blood, tears, sleepless nights, and boundless love — a role that has only expanded thus far and has never ended.
• The nana came softer, a sweeter unfolding, a new chapter of delight and responsibility braided together.
• The lover, the friend, the warrior — each came forth at a cost, with sacrifice of self, with giving pieces of myself so others could thrive. All of which was rewarded with returns beyond measure, embracing what had been given in their own time and in their own way.
• The artist and the appraiser grew in the margins, carved out of stolen hours, determination, and resilience.

The “They” is the accumulation of all those births. Not separate people, not fractured identities, but the sheltering canopy of whom I’ve become, an umbrella broad enough to shelter them all.

And here’s the truth: every “They” was born as births are — with mess, cries, and primal grit. And from this primordial soup sprang forth responsibility, loyalty, and love. All of which required, no, demanded, the surrender of myself, sometimes in pieces, and at other times the feeling of my soul being swallowed whole. But these “They’s” … these “layers,” I could not survive without. These life lessons, which were gladly taken, polished me for what comes next in my identity: the Bee.

Bee (n.)
A symbol of emergence in motion: small but mighty, alive with purpose, creating sweetness, carrying a sting when needed, and leaving life behind wherever it travels. Bees thrive in a community while still following their own flight path. Many may appear to be adrift, in the wind or otherwise; however, a purpose, even if unknown to the Bee itself, abides deep within.

                                                         The Bee Emerges

The Bee takes flight, empowered by the past, flying towards the future. The Bee emerges.

The Bee is born not from comfort, but from the work of gathering nectar through storms, carrying the pollen from every flower of life. Each “They” handed me something to carry —loyalty, love, responsibility, resilience — and now the Bee takes wing with it all.

And these wings are strong and beautiful. Stronger than any storm, more beautiful than any sunset, any rainbow. Iridescent with silver, purple, and gold, my wings are woven tight and steadfast, with truths known and wisdom to share.

The Bee buzzes with purpose, even when the purpose isn’t fully known. It spreads life with each landing, leaves sweetness behind, and still carries a sting when boundaries must be held. It is small, yes, but mighty. And it does not drift aimlessly: even adrift on the wind, the Bee’s flight is an act of emergence, of becoming, of living.

So here I stand, not fractured, not diminished, not waiting for someone else to define me. I am the sum of all my They’s, born in love and sacrifice, and I am the Bee, taking flight with everything they’ve given me.

I am not defined by absence.
I am defined by emergence.

The canopy of my being shelters every role I have carried, and the wings of my becoming carry me forward. I am buzzing with life, resilient, sweet when I choose, fierce when I must, and always alive with the promise of what’s next.  I am a They-Bee.

Part 3 of 3: Captain's Notes

They-Bee (noun)

This unique new term for self-identification appears to have been first documented by Captain Doreen of the vessel Adrift Again, following extensive field observations of herself.

It attempts to classify a non-binary identity, describing a person who is neither single, attached, divorced, nor widowed, but defined by emergence, resilience, and the accumulated wisdom of multiple life identities.

Overview

The They-Bee is characterized by the coexistence of multiple life identities ("Theys") beneath a single canopy of selfhood.

Unlike classifications based on absence or relationship status, the They-Bee is defined by emergence.