Priceless Life Lessons From The Roots

In response to the nature prompt for last week of December-Roots

This week's nature prompt by Dr. Preeti Singh reminds me of the quote by Wangari Maathai: “A tree has roots in the soil yet reaches to the sky. It tells us that in order to aspire, we need to be grounded and that no matter how high we go, it is from our roots that we draw sustenance. It is a reminder to all of us who have had the success that we cannot forget where we came from. It signifies that no matter how powerful we become in government or how many awards we receive, our power and strength and our ability to reach our goals depend on the people, those whose work remains unseen, who are the soil out of which we grow, the shoulders on which we stand.”

One of the biggest benefits of knowing our roots is that it gives us a sense of identity and self-worth. It showcases our lineage, values, and beliefs.

Roots are also a symbol of our support network and stability. We always feel loved and stable when we have deep roots.

“It is in the roots, not the branches, that a tree’s greatest strength lies.”- Matshona Dhliwayo.

Every part of the tree has a lesson for us. Nature inspires us throughout our life.

Lessons from the Great Banyan Tree and its aerial roots.

During one of my childhood visits to Kolkata, I had been to the botanical gardens and stood mesmerized by the Great Banyan Tree as soon as I saw it. Botanically, the tree is known as Ficus benghalensis.

It looks more like a dense forest than an individual tree. The tree has many aerial roots which grow from the branches and run vertically to the ground. The tree is 250 years old and has survived three great cyclones. Through all this, it has stood strong. The biggest lesson it teaches us is resilience. We will have problems; life will go through tumultuous changes. We can weather all storms if we are connected with our roots and grounded.

Like trees, humans also share a root system. Poet and Philosopher Mark Nepo compares the trees’ interdependent root system with humans. According to him, we may seem different on the surface, but we all share the same root system. The crucial bit he says is that when the chips are down and when humankind seems to be falling apart, cooperation will prevail to ensure survival. A Great Thought!

Thank you, Dr. Preeti Singh, for this beautiful nature prompt that inspired me to think about nature and brought back memories of my visit to the botanical gardens in Kolkata.

I recommend the following post from other medium writers.

Monoreena Acharjee Majumdar engaging story, I Dial My heart and it Sings in Roots,

B.R. Shenoy beautiful picture essay on the benefits of nature- The Healing Power of Nature,