Roots Upended

Roots Upended Are Ugly

As we left for a family celebration of Doug’s birthday, he spied a disturbing new sight in our neighbor’s yard. The formerly towering pine on the corner of the property had toppled and its roots were at a 90⁰ angle to the ground.

Thankfully, that tree missed the neighbor’s house! But what a mess! Its roots are ugly and startlingly shallow. A tree that tall should have had deeper roots, right?

Apparently not.

Some pines have root systems that are fine and shallow. That means they grow well in sandy soil – which abounds in this neighborhood. But, their longevity improves when other trees surround them, deflecting the wind. This tree had no such companions. Hence, the unseasonably strong winds of recent days may have been too much.

What’s the takeaway from Mother Nature’s visual?

Isolated old trees do not bode well in windstorms.

• Isolation is a dangerous choice, especially in old age and windy weather. Don’t make it any easier for people to avoid me!
• Being a friend – a shelter – to others in rough weather and fair is a good use of my personal space and resources.
• Consider my roots now. Because when I am upended, my choices how I sustained myself may be more public than I ever imagined.

My mother used to say, old people didn’t just become ornery in their twilight years. They’d been practicing for quite some time.

Thank God for a new day!

• May He keep thee and me from practicing what doesn’t work well at any age – resentment, and self-absorption.
• May He enable us to make better use of our time and talents, especially on days like to day when wind gusts may hit 60 mph!

While we can’t change the direction of the wind, we can adjust our sails, taking shelter while there is time to sail into a safe harbor, beneath a wonderful Rock.

Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent. Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you. ~Carl Sandburg