Roots.

I am sort of a tree freak. 

Any part of any given tree inspires me. 

Today, it's the roots. 

The strength and depth of the root serves as a  literal life line for the tree.
A tree won't survive without the roots and neither will I. 
This past week, I discovered that I have roots that I didn't know I had. 

For the past 11 years, I've been on a path of reinvention. 

I had to find new ways to be. 

I didn't really have a choice in this, but I hoped that by immersing myself into my new reality,
 I would find my feet so I could heal and grow.
Little did I know, I was establishing roots. 
Roots that would guide me, nurture me, and give me life. 

In January of 2004, my friend Nancy and I decided to live together and

 get an apartment in downtown Denver.  

We moved into the Belmont Buckingham apartments in Capitol Hill and found home. 
Part of being home was our friendship with a few girls that also lived at the B&B

--Amber and Tia.

We quickly built a social life that was full and exciting. 

{And possibly filled with a bit of debauchery...} 

The old gang got together the other day and I went home feeling deeply nostalgic--

but it seemed like more than that. 

 I couldn't figure out what the deeper feeling I had was until later in the week when I was talking to Nancy about our time together. As we were talking we realized that what I gained from those years were roots.

Looking back, I see that I was building the "you just get it" type of friends.  
They knew the "new" me and allowed this "new" me to 
 try new things, go new places and meet new people. 
They were with me when I met Brian and
 I was with them when they met the loves of their lives. 
We celebrated each other's life changes and helped each other navigate the rough patches. This isn't necessarily atypical of friendships but for me, during this time of my life, the stories, the memories, and the friendships that were formed had deep, lasting significance. 

I truly felt that I was a part of something bigger than myself. 

I hadn't felt that way in a really, really long time. 

I feel so very grateful and humbled because I have these roots. 

I have stability because of these roots.

I have the ability to grow because I have these roots. 

I feel hope because I have these roots.

I am so very thankful for my Belmont Buckingham days for giving me what

 I so desperately need to continue on--

Roots. 

"Roots make all the difference in the health of a plant-whether it flourishes or fails, 

thrives or dies, blossoms or withers."