How strong are your roots and networks? Like the closely knit roots of a mature tree, do they help to keep you grounded and balanced? Here are some ideas on the benefits of roots and networks.
June is upon us, and we are nearing the half-way point of the year. As we approach the summer solstice, the trees have leafed out, and nature has burst into her full magnificence. In awe of this, I recently noticed a mature maple tree with numerous closely knit exposed roots. It had a very strong root system with thick, interwoven sections overlapping each other where the tree connected with the ground. Seeing it inspired some thoughts about the importance of roots and networks in our lives.
Close networks of family members and friends are so essential. When I picture the intertwined root system of that large maple tree, it evokes the supportive, reinforcing nature of those bonds. They help to keep us grounded and balanced, and when times get tough, they assist us to stay upright and deal with life’s challenges.
The first definition of a network in the Canadian Oxford Dictionary is “a group of interconnected or intercommunicating things, points, or people.”[i] There is wide consensus on the importance of networks to our health and wellbeing. They sustain us by providing socialization, emotional support, and greater resilience to depression, loneliness and anxiety.
If you have a hospital procedure or a pivotal appointment and a friend offers you a lift or is present for you before or after, it means the world. Some people have stronger family ties than others, but we all benefit from a feeling of community and knowing that others are there to offer support and a listening ear.
Roots often mean “social, cultural or ethnic origins.”[ii] On the popular television program, Finding Your Roots,[iii] the guests are often emotional when they learn about the life experiences of even a remote forebear, as they feel a visceral connection with them and the place from which their family originated. Speaking more broadly, some people choose to be in contact with friends they have chosen, as opposed to some of their relations. That is a valid choice as well.
When I do energy healing with cancer survivors and others, I suggest that after the treatment, they go outside and imagine roots growing out of the soles of their feet into the ground. Touching a tree while breathing deeply helps them to feel grounded before driving or going on with their day.
In a fascinating book called The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben, the author mentions different ways that trees communicate with and help one another.[iv] Citing research by Dr. Suzanne Simard of the University of British Columbia and other scientists, he notes that trees can feed each other through interconnected roots or via fungal networks around the root tips.[v] He describes coming across beech, oak, fir and spruce stumps that were still alive long after being cut down, because they were fed by other nearby trees in the forest.[vi]
Here is a definition of networking from The Networking Survival Guide that is more in a work context, although often friends and family do pass on beneficial information and tips that help on a personal level. How often have you called upon the special knowledge of a close person, be it for computer technology, gardening, child care, or another subject? That availability, willingness to help and sharing of expertise is so precious, because no one is an expert at everything.
“Networking is:
- Sharing of knowledge and contacts
- Getting the help you need . . . .
- Getting more done with less effort
- Building relationships . . . .
- Helping others.”[vii]
As I write this, I’m anticipating a visit with family members, some of whom I haven’t seen in quite some time. The young children will have changed in the two years since I’ve seen them, and I’ll have the joy of meeting a new baby. One of my mother’s favourite sayings was, “Blood is thicker than water,” and I think that’s true. I wish you deep, secure roots, thriving and healthy networks, and happy reunions with your special people this summer.
Cynthia Adam is a bilingual career coach, life coach and wellness coach and energy healer. For more information on the above ideas or for individualized support, please call 613-552-7909 or email info@naturexpansion.com
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Photo: Manfred Antranias Zimmer
[i] Canadian Oxford Dictionary, second edition, edited by Katherine Barber (Don Mills, Ontario: 2004), first definition of “network.”
[ii] Ibid., fourth definition of “root.”
[iii] Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates Jr., a documentary television series that premiered in North America on PBS in March 2012.
[iv] Wohlleben, Peter, The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate: Discoveries from a Secret World (Vancouver: Greystone Books Ltd and David Suzuki Institute), page 2.
[v] Ibid.
[vi] Ibid., page 5.
[vii] Darling, Diane. The Networking Survival Guide: Get the Success You Want by Tapping into the People You Know. (New York: McGraw-Hill, 2003), page 16.