On deeper roots

This year has been one of harsh climate, metaphorically speaking. Thinking of myself as a plant, there have been extreme heat waves, words and actions that scorched, and even someone who did a lot of "hack-n-whack" that did a bit of damage (per se) to my branches. Nevertheless, as I was thinking of things the other day, I thought, "What happens when your branches and leaves are under siege?" And the answer I heard was, "You develop your root system." When there's too much heat and the visible plant gets burned and battered, generally, the root system goes deeper--seeking water and nutrients and expending energy that will not be wasted.

And I'd like to think that's what's happened for me--I've grown a deeper root system. I'm more established, more grounded, can call on help/nourishment/refreshment from places deeper than the eye can see.