Where you put your roots

Home. It’s where you feel safe, comfortable and with people you care deeply about.

During a recent trip to South Africa, it allowed me to reflect on what makes a home a home.

My wife grew up in South Africa and the moment the plane touched down she felt at home. The warm air, the sunshine, the people.

Where you grew up will always feel at home. But as the years go not living there, it starts to feel a little displaced. It got me thinking.

A tree does not roam the land. It places its roots in the ground, it cannot be moved once it is established.

But as humans, what type of roots do we place? There are lots.

We have a place to live and the familiarity of the place we’re live in. There are the norms and customs of how people talk and behave. Then we have our friendships and our family.

There are other roots as well. These are the places we visit and the work we do. You could liken the water and nutrients a tree’s gather is like the source of money.

As we go deeper, our roots have more nuanced connections. A bank account, a mortgage, a credit score and even citizenship. These are harder roots to establish and can take time.

So while we look at nature, we are no different, we place deep roots in the place we live. These roots give is the stability and a sense of belonging.

Todays ‘ah-ha’ moment is that we are like nature. We set our roots deep in the place we live. That’s what makes a place feel like home.

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