EcoKeev: Teachings from the root

*** For those of you just joining me, I recently decided to merge my two blogs - EcoKeev and this one - since I don't update either of them enough to warrant having two separate blogs, and since part of being a crazy music lady is the nature aspect, anyhow. ***

These are my baby orange trees. I sprouted them from seed myself last October, and I've only lost one, which is some kind of a new record for me. (I learn 99% of what I do from trial and error, in most cases, and sometimes it's heavier on the error than the trial.)

 They recently outgrew their old "pots." If you can call sliced-up McCafe cups "pots." Their little roots were pressing on the sides and crawling out the drainage holes.

 Roots are utterly fascinating to me. They are so delicate. Yet they insinuate themselves into the soil, gently, patiently, persuasively. So much of a plant's health and appearance depends on its roots. You know the roots are there, because the plant's still alive and healthy. Yet most of the time, the roots are somewhat removed from the scene because you can't actually see them. When you look at a plant, you see leaves, stems, changes from the ground up.

 It may escape your mind completely that the lasting changes are made from the ground down. You can't always tell how a plant or a person is doing just from looking at them. I've had plants with root rot that appear fine for weeks before they even begin to wilt. Green-leafed and cheerful, and then all of a sudden they're beyond help.

 You won't always be able to see what's going on in the minds and hearts of people, even people that are close to you. You might not even be able to see what's going on at your own root level. Appearance can reflect truth, but is not always truth.

 There's a compelling need for people to be sensitive to the true nature of what's happening in their own lives and in the lives of others. To understand that the unseen root is the part that requires attention and care.