Roots

A recent visit to the spring festival in a friend's hometown sparked a renewed interest in our roots. Where  do we come from and why does it matter? As quickly as adolescents yearn to escape their hometowns, adults are equally anxious to return. Youth may prevent us from appreciating the value in the simplicity of our often humble beginnings. Maturity and age present us with clarity and sometimes surprising revelations that we miss what we have lost.

This festival allowed the friend to walk down her main street and revisit her father's mercantile store. She sat alongside her youngest grandson on the bench that had long accompanied the entrance to the store. She had spontaneous reunions with friends and relatives. Breathing the air in her hometown and seeing familar faces was a renewal as spring is intended to be.

A few years ago I had the unexpected pleasure of revisiting my hometown with my mother. We moved when I was a toddler so my memories are possibly a result of stories and photographs more than actual remembrances. It was an amazing trek from beginning to end. The house we lived in still stood and was a thrill to see. We toured landmarks and I had a better understanding of my origin. The park mentioned in my babybook actually exists and we happily drove through the beautiful grounds. It was a priceless trip and one that I will never forget.

A childhood friend lost her mother and she and her siblings returned her mother to another state that used to be home. So she was buried next to her beloved husband and the friend's father. It was important that they go home. The return  home is an essential part of  what some might call the circle of life. Reconnecting with friends and family is also part of what defines home. Our roots are important because they remind us that we are indeed connected.

My mother returns to her hometown at least once a year and that visit is vitally significant to her. Her childhood home is still there and it always pleases her to see it. In fact, it almost reassures her to see it. We travel dirt roads and country paths and sometimes landmarks are long gone but the roads remain the same. We visit loved ones and cherish the affection we can still express and mourn the ones we miss. Smiles and giggles are shared between "youngsters" in their eighties and nineties as stories are shared that only they remember. Our roots represent our belonging to someone and to something and to somewhere.

What and who and where represent home to you is unique for each of us. Roots give us a strong foundation. Now is a pefect time to be sure you are still connected.