Who are your roots? by Lindsay Curtis

We all (hopefully) have them – the people who are in our lives and love us no matter what. For some of us, it is family. For others, it is our chosen family (friends). For me, I have a couple of ‘roots’ and I try to let them know how grateful I am for them on a daily basis, because I KNOW the roots are what keep me grounded. They’re what keep me standing tall, even in my darkest hours.

I love my best friend. Love her guts. The girl could tell me she’s stolen every last dime I have and I’d still love her and ask her what I could do to help her. In the 12 years I’ve known her, we’ve been through it all: deaths, births, not having a penny to our name and sharing one McDonald’s meal a day – you name it, we’ve been through it. That girl is a fundamental ROOT. Other friends I know I can rely on, but I also know they are likely not here forever.

And that’s okay. Comparing people to trees isn’t something that popped into my head.

I was talking to a close friend of mine the other day and she was telling me she’s afraid she may be losing some of her friendships. I told her if she’s losing them, then their season in each other’s lives is over. Madea is usually just funny – but here, she offers some solid advice. Let folks go if they’re not willing to stick it out for the hard times. It doesn’t mean you didn’t love them or they didn’t once love you. The reality is, most friendships have their seasons. Let folks go. And hold on to those roots – tend to them, nurture them and never take them for granted.

This post first appeared on The Daily Awe