Roots are the fundamental part of a plant or, as pictured above, a tree. They give stability, the foundation under the ground for growth above it, and without them the plant cannot prosper or live.
Roots are also important for humanity, they give us a sense of our place in the continuous history of families, where we have come from genetically and socially. This can apply to our birthplace, area or county and even to larger groupings such as countries.
I remember – quite some time ago now – seeing this dramatically shown in a powerful television series with the title of ‘Roots’. This was adapted from a book by Alex Haley, who had traced his family tree back to Africa. It gave the story of his predecessors, right from the year 1767 when Kunta Kinte was captured and taken as a slave to America, until his offspring achieved eventual freedom many, many years later. It is now on DVD and if you get a chance do see it, or read the book.
