Honey Nut Cheerios has stripped its familiar mascot Buzz the Bee from its cereal boxes as part of a company-wide effort to alert the public that honeybees are dying off at a dangerous rate, and that doesn’t just spell disaster for cartoon spokesmen.
In addition to the packaging change, Honey Nut Cheerios, a brand of General Mills, is taking a number of other steps, not just to create awareness of this worsening issue, but to fix it as well. Said General Mills Canada vice president of marketing Emma Eriksson, "We have a bee as our mascot and honey in our product, so we thought somebody should be championing this cause, and we thought that we could be a great champion.”
Cereal boxes have long been a focus of attention at the breakfast table, but the omission of the bee on the box is just one of many red flags that the company is waving.
The hashtag #BringBackTheBees is part of a social media campaign that features both statistics demonstrating the importance of honeybees to our ecosystem—they pollinate 70 percent of food crops throughout the world—and the silhouette of the missing bee mascot.
With the marketing campaign comes action as well. General Mills is offering up 100 million wildflower seeds to promote planting among its customers. The seeds are available in packets of 500, to be planted anywhere they can be. Unfortunately, they’re not including the seeds in the cereal boxes themselves (a logistical issue since brands stopped inserting prizes into packaging), but they’re available by mail, for free, right here.
Additionally, the brand is taking action themselves, pledging a crop of 3,300 acres of wildflowers amid oat farms in the next two-and-a-half years.
To learn more about the very real consequences of the declining bee population (from a less corporate source), watch this video’s quick synopsis of the issue facing the world.
Parents of young children get more time with them if they work from home.Photo credit: Canva
Juicy subject matter
Giphy from The Blacklist.
We could start a rumor.
Grieving couple comforting each other
This response to someone grieving a friend might be the best internet comment ever
When someone is hit with the sudden loss of a friend or loved one, words rarely feel like enough. Yet, more than a decade ago, a wise Redditor named GSnow shared thoughts so profound they still bring comfort to grieving hearts today.
Originally posted around 2011, the now-famous reply was rediscovered when Upvoted, an official Reddit publication, featured it again to remind everyone of its enduring truth. It began as a simple plea for help: “My friend just died. I don't know what to do.”
What followed was a piece of writing that many consider one of the internet’s best comments of all time. It remains shared across social media, grief forums, and personal messages to this day because its honesty and metaphor speak to the raw reality of loss and the slow, irregular path toward healing.
Below is GSnow’s full reply, unchanged, in all its gentle, wave-crashing beauty:
Why this advice still matters
Mental health professionals and grief counselors often describe bereavement in stages or phases, but GSnow’s “wave theory” gives an image more relatable for many. Rather than a linear process, grief surges and retreats—sometimes triggered by a song, a place, or a simple morning cup of coffee.
In recent years, this metaphor has found renewed relevance. Communities on Reddit, TikTok, and grief support groups frequently reshare it to help explain the unpredictable nature of mourning.
Many readers say this analogy helps them feel less alone, giving them permission to ride each wave of grief rather than fight it.
Finding comfort in shared wisdom
Since this comment first surfaced, countless people have posted their own stories underneath it, thanking GSnow and passing the words to others facing fresh heartbreak. It’s proof that sometimes, the internet can feel like a global support group—strangers linked by shared loss and hope.
For those searching for more support today, organizations like The Dougy Center, GriefShare, and local bereavement groups offer compassionate resources. If you or someone you know is struggling with intense grief, please reach out to mental health professionals who can help navigate these deep waters.
When grief comes crashing like the ocean, remember these words—and hang on. There is life between the waves.
This article originally appeared four years ago.