Overcrowded Spotlight

Honey For The Heart - 22

In Whispering Woods, the Annual Kindness Gathering was just a day away.

The forest-folk had all been busy reflecting on their kindest acts to share.
Bumble had helped an old tortoise move stones from his collapsing garden wall.
Piggy had carried warm mushroom stew to the mice family during last week’s storm.

Both acts were kind.
And both had been quietly rehearsed, just in case someone asked.

“They might invite us to speak,” Bumble said, smoothing his fur without meaning to.

Piggy nodded. “I mean… not that we want to sing about it. But if they do…”

“Of course not want, just… ready,” Bumble agreed.

The next evening, lanterns lit up the clearing like soft stars.
Animals shared their stories, one after another.

Squirrel spoke of giving up her winter stash for a hungry porcupine family.
Nightingale shared how she watched over a nest of orphaned robins till they flew.

Then Owie the owl stepped forward and asked, “Anyone else?”

Piggy glanced at Bumble.
Bumble half-lifted his paw… then paused.

The clearing was silent. All eyes waited.

And in that stillness, Bumble suddenly saw it…
The spotlight wasn’t empty.
It was crowded.
With pride dressed in modest clothes.
With carefully crafted humility.
With forest-folk… like him… hoping their goodness would be seen… and appreciated.

He slowly lowered his paw.

Piggy leaned in. “You alright?”

Bumble nodded, then whispered,
“I wasn’t going to speak about the wall.
I was going to speak about me.”

Piggy said nothing.
He just placed a hoof gently over Bumble’s paw.

“We both were. You saw it in time.”

They sat quietly in the shadows as applause rose for someone else.

Piggy smiled. “Sometimes… stepping back says more.”

Bumble looked toward the glowing clearing… bright, full, buzzing.
Then back at the soft edge of the woods, where no one was watching.

The spotlight moved on.
But the moon smiled through the leaves.
And the trees bowed gently
To two friends laughing in the quiet shadows.