Needing Others
From: Steven Ng <pkiam@singnet.com.sg>
Date : Wed, 02 Jun 1999 12:20:56 0800
Many living things need each other to
survive. If you have ever seen a Colorado aspen tree, you may have noticed that
it does not grow alone. Aspens are found in clusters, or groves. The reason is
that the aspen sends up new shoots from the roots. In a small grove, all of the
trees may actually be connected by their roots!
Giant California redwood trees may tower 300 feet into the sky. It would seem
that they would require extremely deep roots to anchor them against strong
winds. But we're told that their roots are actually quite shallow -- in order to
capture as much surface water as possible. And they spread in all directions,
intertwining with other redwoods. Locked together in this way, all the trees
support each other in wind and storms. Like the aspen, they never stand alone.
They need one another to survive.
People, too, are connected by a system of roots. We are born to family and learn
early to make friends. We are not meant to survive long without others. And like
the redwood, we need to hold one another up. When pounded by the sometimes
vicious storms of life, we need others to support and sustain us.
Have you been going it alone? Maybe it's time to let someone else help hold you
up for a while. Or perhaps someone needs to hang on to you.