Driftwood: Getting to the Root

It’s amazing how the uprooted, tattered, and lifeless can still show so much vigor to what is left behind. Like driftwood or breathless trees strewn about an eroded beach. Beautiful sun bleached, bare limbs, still intact. Trunks, hollowed, holding seemingly nothing but space.

The life force of those beauties, however, are still somewhere deep, retaining memories of the life it once supported. These vessels show us only remnants of a story. We know there are roots so we know there was life. But what was that life like? How tall did they stand? How much shade and shelter did they provide? What color was the foliage? Did they produce flowers? Or just green leaves that changed colors with the seasons?

We can only know by digging deep, sometimes in unknown places, and figuring out which roots match the debris.

Learning Grace

If we focus on learning our own “driftwood” origination, we fill ourselves with patience for those strolling about their own journey. We can’t find and dig up every root of every stray limb we come across. Instead, maybe we just appreciate the limb for what it is. Simply just acknowledge that it has roots somewhere, and give grace to the owner while they make their own discoveries.

Observing our own and others lives in this manner may bring peace knowing there is more to us than how we present. We all are WHO WE ARE from birth and the life we’ve experienced has a way of masking that. Even making it quite hazy and difficult to see others for who THEY truly are.

Making Space

Traumas happen to us. Loved ones transition. Relationships end. Chapters of our lives close. Still, the remnants of their existence will always be. The lessons have been written. We must now work to make and hold space to receive the messages from those lessons.

If we are always full… full of grief, sadness, greed, anger, even excess happiness placed in an external source… how can we receive the messages and peace that is meant to come to us?

Just as we shouldn’t judge people because we don’t know their story, we should open our minds to be receptive of our OWN.

Yours Truly,

KJ