ON BEING ROOTED

My father died recently and the roots upon which I was born and grew from were suddenly gone. From those ancients roots my own grew and I was left wondering, “Am I now rootless? If not, what are mine?”

Our roots grow deeper, slowly, overtime, in relationship with what is around us, people, experiences and surroundings. Those change over the years, and with them new, unique secondary roots grow, very much like tree roots which communicate, and feed each other through a fungi network. (https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-whispering-trees-180968084/)

At a minimum, I am now the “bearer roots” of my family history, and with that the need to pass them along so that they don’t fall into oblivion as if they had never lived. Roots carry with them rituals, values, customs, stories. Some of them I will keep, some I will try to detangle and heal, those who don’t feed me  will just have to go. Choosing the roots which feed us is key to become deeply grounded and survive the high tides which come our way.

An understanding of where our roots lie does give us a sense of belonging. To know where we come from and our family stories can help us live better lives.

 

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ROOTING PRACTICES

Find 10 minutes of your time to walk barefoot in the sand or on the grass or any natural terrain. Make yourself aware of the contact of your feet with the Earth.

Draw a simple family tree to share with your family and make you aware of where you come from.

Bake your grandmother’s famous pie, tell your children or grandchildren a story from your family that they have not heard before.

Create a new ritual which will become part of your roots.