It is brave, I think,
to allow your roots
to grow above ground,
where everyone can see.
Our roots are like private roadmaps,
a mess of twists and turns,
dead-ends and scenic routes,
countless paths that all begin
at the first place you called home.
Every root system
has two main purposes:
to ground you and to nourish you.
The further you detach from
who you are and
whom you’ve loved,
where you’ve been and
what you’ve learned,
what you’ve lost and
what you’ve found,
the harder it is to grow.
Contrary to popular belief,
we are not here
to just stand tall and look pretty.
We are here
to come out from hiding,
to dig up the stuff
we’ve kept underground,
to shine even when we’re messy,
and show the world
who we really are,
roots and all.
