EVEN TREES DO IT!

 

A series of essays….

MOUNTAIN FOREST LOCATED AT BOYD’S MOUNTAIN LODGE
IN THE SMOKY MOUNTAINS OF WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA

….as see through my eyes!

By: Jacqueline E Hughes

A taproot is a large, central, and dominant root from which other roots sprout laterally. Typically a taproot is somewhat straight and very thick, is tapering in shape, and grows directly downward.   —Macmillan Dictionary

Human beings are connected to one another via our roots. Our ancestors established these roots and continually serve as support and nourishment for our mind, body, and soul. Because they are the deep, underground portion of our very selves, we draw sustenance from them; they help to guide us through time and can be a formidable and intimate source of strength and encouragement when we need them the most. 

The current interest in programs such as Finding Your Roots and Who Do You Think You Are? illustrates the fact that, as humans, our desire to discover and explore our roots has become very important to us. 

What exactly are we hoping to find from our past? And, are we always ready to accept what we do find? Having pride in who we are and where we come from seems to be the main object of our search. We’d like to think that all of our ancestors were strong, kind, and philanthropic individuals who were the pillars of the community in which they lived and we derive from. 

Dissatisfaction with our taproot due to blatant cruelty or lack of higher standards may spread laterally, we fear, and influence us via our mutual root structure. If the basis of our own existence crashes in disappointment, how do we expect to find the nourishment and support we need in order to grow stronger and wiser?

Then again, just knowing what it would take to be more competent than those in our past should allow us to make better choices for ourselves in the long run; acting responsibly today in order to establish a better tomorrow.

As I work to establish my portion of the root structure network that may or may not be analyzed by those in the future, the question of character and life giving support for everyone who is touched in one way or another by my own daily journey—arises. Am I good enough, strong enough, and will my character contribute to the strong roots my offspring need to help get them through life’s experiences?

GRANDDAUGHTERS: AMAZING!

I wish to be remembered as a bit wacky but an extremely fun, caring, loving, talented, and artistic person by all of the important people in my life. This would be the richest legacy I could possibly hope for. 

The spark that ignited my current train of thought was fueled by the several bins of photographs I’ve been going through as we continue to weed out, categorize, and re-evaluate our stuff after moving back to Michigan from Florida! If our ancestors are the taproot we plug into for information about ourselves, photographs are the memories that surround us, ground us, and confirm in our minds activities from the past and present. Pleasantly, as one picture is hastily flipped behind another and strips of brown negatives slide to the floor, I realize how important our interaction with close friends throughout the years adds important meaning to the life we lead.

My sweet ‘sister friend’ often reminds me that good friends can become closer and more reliable than our own flesh and blood. There is that special bond within a productive friendship that sweetens through time and produces a caring and loving relationship between those who accept how important it can be to both parties. Since moving up to Kalamazoo, I understand and have experienced how beautiful and important a relationship like this can be. I thank all of my sisters for their acceptance of me and never ending love!

Yes, there are some outstandingly brave people that line my ancestry hall of fame: grandparents who fled the ravages of war in the Ukraine before WWI and found a good life together in the United States, a great aunt who protected my fifteen-year-old father from a wayward life by taking him under her wing, and a loving mother who, even though caught between the chapters of history, knew the importance of raising her children with an abundance of love and kindness.

HARTWICK PINES STATE PARK
SEPTEMBER 15, 2019

 

As we have recently discovered, the lateral roots of all trees work in harmony in the forest and are connected to one another as they reach out for the flow of nutrients from mother trees offering sustenance to their neighbors and offspring. The continued theme of gaining nourishment from our own roots impacts how humans sustain themselves and those around them. Family photos become framed displays of joy and pride with pictures of loved ones spread across the family room wall like ivy along a brick facade; feeler roots clinging to each crevice hoping to thrive throughout time and never be  forgotten.

The strong interconnection among family, friends, places, and celebrations along the years can be a heady experience. I will put the images away for now hoping my emotions are calmed by their brief absence. How satisfying to know that our taproots dive down deeply, powerfully within us after having sprouted sturdy guidelines and memories available to tap into whenever we feel the need to learn more.

Copyright © 2022 by Jacqueline E Hughes

All rights reserved