When walking in the woods these days, I’m struck by how green it is even after our hot, dry summer. I find it kind of amusing to see patches of thriving weeds in the middle of burned out lawns. For plants that are not native to this area, or for those without deep roots, diligent and regular watering has been their only hope this year. The secret to staying green in hot dry weather is to live in your native place or to put down deep roots. Works for plants; works for people.

     In today’s world, it’s not that likely you’re still in your place of origin. Where would that be for lots of us, anyway? But we all have the possibility of putting down deep roots. It could mean living in a place for a long time and being really familiar with it and the other people who live there. That’s a pretty sustaining thing. But it’s not a sure thing or even likely to describe most people’s experience.

     There are other roots we can put down that keep us nourished in dry times. Some of us lucky ones have families we’re still friendly with. Some of us have churches, temples, or groups that make us feel at home. Some of us even find comfort in the company of people we work with. Good and stable as these things are or seem to be, they can disappear in an instant.

     The roots that never desert us, the ones that always feed us are the ones deep within. The same roots that make us interesting and vital members of society are the ones that sustain us in time of our own personal droughts.

     One root is knowing who we are against the backdrop of the wider world without need for outside validation. This one tells us that our relationship with all of mankind is good, and takes away any need to bully or be bullied. It also make us confident enough to offer the gift of who we are and not always wait to do it.

     Another is a sense curiosity about life and the discovery of what it is we believe to be true; what it is that’s so important that we’d take a stand for it and maybe even die for it. We derive strength from being firmly planted in place, not in the rigid sort of way, but by getting past the need to sway with prevailing opinion.

     Living our dreams, or at least knowing we are in sincere pursuit of them, is an important source of nourishment. No one should ever leave this realm with the final thought that the one thing they really wanted to do was left undone. Our vitality depends to a great extent on being in the flow of creativity, the kind that sometimes makes you forget to eat, or even to worry.

     Although it seems our culture wants to deny it, we are part of the natural world. We operate in cycles and rhythms, and do best when in awareness and harmony with the world’s cycles and rhythms. Nature is bursting with fertility and possibility and determination, and so are we. We have to know it. We can be the tree that grows from the smallest crack in the sidewalk, or the weed that grows from under the darkness of rock up into the sunlight.

     There is no insurance policy for getting us through the hard times in life. We are fortunate when our loved ones stick by us, but that’s not always guaranteed. We only have ourselves. Cultivating deep roots is likely to help us weather dry times with grace and assurance. Deep roots are the vital survival tool that keeps us fresh when we would otherwise wither.