carbonated joy

I think “root” might be one of my favorite words.
It can mean to cheer for someone (or something). It’s giving moral support. It’s clapping and cheering.
It makes me think of the foamy sweetness of root beer, that makes me happy (and thirsty).
A root is the cause or source of something (or someone).
A root is the most important part of a tree, even though you can’t see it. It anchors the tree. It nourishes the tree.
We have roots.
Roots connect us to our history, they ground us.
Sometimes roots aren’t pretty, they can be twisted and gnarly.
But their power is not in the look, but in the life.
Roots are designed to give life. They are constructed to craft. They are meant to form and feed.
There is a deep sadness in a withered root.
The sad fact is that roots can get clogged or chopped. They can be unhealthy. They can recreate that unhealth in what they form and feed. But, that’s not what they are designed to do. Sometimes we need to graft new redeeming health into old roots. Sometimes we need to remember what roots are for.
Roots are meant to refresh and remind.
They are meant to go deep and anchor.
When roots are strong, thick, they give us life. They keep us from breaking in the storm.
I think “root” might be one of my favorite words.
I’m going to grab a root beer, and sit and think about it for a while.