For all my tree-hugging friends, I recently heard an analogy concerning relationships and the parts of a tree. This analogy is nothing new, but for some reason it really resonates in my soul. God selects certain people to be in our lives at certain times. He brings people in and out, according to his plan.

There are three types of relationships. Some people, MOST people in the world, are leaves. Their only purpose is to shift when the wind changes and provide shade. When the seasons change, they die and fall off...just like the leaves on a tree. So when the seasons of my life change, the leaf relationships will fall off. I must stop trying to hold on to them. Easier said than done! I crave permanency and want everyone to stay, stay, stay. I try to gather the leaves and press them in the pages of books. I want to hold on to everyone and everything. Oddly, the most comforting part of this analogy is the realization that my precious mom was a leaf. That was her intended role. God chose my mom to be a leaf...not just for me, but for many: for Kelli and Shea, for my dad, for her mom, for her sisters. While fleeting, clearly leaves are precious.

Then there are the branches. These are the tricky relationships. It's not until I step out onto a branch that I realize it is too weak to bear my weight...nay, that it is not meant to bear my weight. Yep, branches break if I treat them like roots. That's what they do. Me being me, I am disappointed to discover a branch in the guise of a root. Stupid branches! (Issues? Flashback to a scene in "Sixteen Candles" in which the parents are trying to get their son to go to a dance. He desperately whines, "But I want to stay with you guys!") I want everyone to be a ROOT. The trick is to accept a branch's role. Again, God selects our branches. They are constant so long as I treat them properly. They are good for holding bird feeders and wind chimes. They bring joy and beauty. They are there to share in the pleasures of my life.

And now for the most coveted position; the root. (Clearly, I have a root issue.) Root relationships aren’t going anywhere. Now think about it; a tree has thousands of leaves and hundreds of branches, but it may only have two or three strong roots. In thinking of my roots, I am overwhelmed with the beauty of God's plan. Chuck and Mary Picciuti are two of my roots. Imagine that. They did not raise me. They did not even know me until my early 20's. When God planned for Hester (mom) to be a leaf in my life, he also planned for Mary (mom) and Chuck (dad) to be my roots.