Definition: The part of a plant that attaches to the ground or to a support, typically underground, conveying water and nourishment to the rest of the plant via numerous branches and fibers. The basic cause, source or origin of something. Established deeply and firmly.
Well I must apologize I feel I have fallen off the face of the earth during this past month and a half. I will not get into all the details as life became a little more complicated than one can anticipate and you end up doing what has to be done and just keep moving forward. I survived and am hopefully back to writing my weekly blog posts. I sure have missed you!
This week’s post is on the word ROOT. What do you think of when you hear that word? ROOTS from a tree or plant? Maybe it is ROOT canal (ouch), ROOT cause, ROOT words, or ROOT juices. Or perhaps your heritage where you came from.
Just before Thanksgiving we had our official freeze a bit earlier than usual and this caused most of my beautiful plants and flowers in my yard to wither away. I decided to trim down the perennials, pull up most of the annuals and throw them away. I was so surprised to see such large ROOTS on most of the plants this year. As I began to study them, I found it to be so fascinating. This sort of ugly part of the plant plays such an intricate part in keeping the plant alive. The small ROOT hairs help in transplanting water and minerals and the larger portion is to anchor the plant and support it. A verse comes to mind
Wow how easy is that?
After celebrating Thanksgiving a few weeks ago, it made me think of the ROOT of this country. The diversity of each one; they became Americans despite themselves celebrating with the Native American Indians. The hardship they each endured. I am so thankful for all the blessings this great nation stands for, even with all the trials and tribulations we have encountered… I may not agree with all the decisions being made in Washington yet I stand proud and very thankful to be an American!
We have just celebrated Christmas and spending time with our close friends and family. I loved watching the dynamics of each gathering, how some were very joyous and exciting, while others were a bit trying at times, with just a little bit of drama but in the end I love makin memories. This year was a bit more difficult in getting in the joy of the holiday, work schedule and deadlines were tight, Thanksgiving being so late in the month seems to shorten the time to prepare and one less weekend. However, in the final days of preparation I took a deep breath and decided I would only be responsible for what I could control, my thoughts, my words and my actions. I also decided to not set my expectations too high of other people and to just go with the flow. I must say that was a wise decision and I was able to truly enjoy the real reason for the season. The birth of our precious Lord and Savior, we went to Christmas Eve service at church and I love the simplicity of singing the familiar songs, all the little children gathering on stage for the pastor to read the Christmas story and the most touching is the candle light vigil. It warmed my heart.
During this week’s Takin Time Out, after spending precious time with my loved ones, I realized how important my ROOTS are. We each have a set of distinct ROOTS, it’s our heritage. I love the quote “Like branches on a tree…we may grow in different directions, but our ROOTS remain as one.” Through the holidays many families have traditions they enjoy like certain meals they prepare, items they bake, stories they read, functions they attend or things they do and they pass these traditions on to their children. Maybe the Elf of the Shelf comes to your home and amuses your children for a few weeks. Perhaps it is the special ornament on the tree or for me my favorite bobble head Santa or the pink Santa my kids love making fun of that my grandmother gave to me as a child. I know that it will be the one thing they will all fight over once I am gone…LOL! My sister loves creating a theme for Christmas each year…this year happened to be Rudolph and they had to make their own ugly Christmas sweater. I personally love when I get together with my parents whether it is at Thanksgiving or Christmas and we work a jigsaw puzzle overwhelmed when the pieces are poured out and we work together as a team until that final piece it put in place. Whatever your traditions are I hope you each made a very special memory for 2014.
As we wrap up the end of the year and look forward to 2015, I pause and look out the window at the big oak tree, oh how it has grown through the years. The ROOTS are not visible like the treetop, and not given the appreciation it deserves. The underground tentacles and configuration is the source of health or illness for this tree. Just like the plants I pulled up in November the ROOTS on the oak tree serves an anchor. I believe my faith in God, believing in my dreams and the support I receive from my loved ones help serve as my anchor and are imbedded as my roots. The next few days I will wrap up my planning for 2015 and finalizing my Word of the Year. As I am sipping on my warm cup of scrumptious orange zest green tea…I know there will be unexpected twists and turns but I am looking forward to new beginnings and new expectations of another year. Whether I am on the mountain top or in the valley I know my ROOTS have made me stronger through each part of this journey called life. Another favorite quote comes to mind from Dolly Parton:
I know for a fact the storms I have encountered have made me stronger. Each year I grow in wisdom, strength and adapt to the ever changing world. My country ROOTS remain deep even though I now live in the city. What about you? Are you ready for a new year? I really can’t believe it will be 2015…time travels so fast the older I get. I hope you can carve a little time for “Takin Time Out” until next time my friend maybe open a bottle of ROOT BEER and pour over some ice cream…bring back some memories of your childhood and reflect on your special ROOTS…
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