Carol A. Hand
Are we inter-connected branching vessels
carrying the pain of the earth back to source
like the roots of the sacred cedar
to heal and breathe new life into being?
Have we been forced deep underground,
pressurized through the weight of suffering,
to become a treasure sought by others
who don’t understand that we carry
healing powers in the wisdom of our ancestors?
Sacred life interwoven with sorrow, blood memory, coded in our very DNA
Photo: Lonely Cedar (Wikipedia)
(image edited with Microsoft WORD Picture Tools)
***
Dedicated to the Water Protectors at Standing Rock, ND.
Inspired by Lara Trace Hentz at Lara.
***
Voices from the Margins 
I guess we are interconnected. Even the Bible says that we cannot be saved without our ancestors. We have to know our roots.
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Yes, knowing our roots – the good and bad – helps us feel a sense of connectedness to people and our environment in the past, present, and future. It can create a solid foundation that allows us to see others as our relations regardless of differences that are ultimately rather superficial.
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Absolutely. We are the same human race, and it is where we should start when we look at others.
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So true, Inese. This is something I told my granddaughter yesterday when she was scared by all of the “Trump for President” signs she saw in our travels through rural areas in northeast Minnesota yesterday. “They’re our relatives regardless of the color of their skin, religions, or beliefs about politics. Let’s not judge them because they think differently than us. Perhaps those differences reflect the fact that not all people have had the privileges of travel and education that we might take for granted.” Okay, Ahma. I’m not so scared any more.”
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Hope for a better world for our grandchildren. Education is a big thing.
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We should be Carol, but I’m sad to say the a large segment of society has lost all connection to the earth and the wisdom of our ancestors regarding it. Throughout history since the onset of the Industrial Revolution man has left the land and in so doing lost his connection to it and regard for it. 🙂 ❤
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A crucial insight about losing one’s sense of connection to the wisdom of ancestors and the sacredness of our environment, Natalie. Thank you for your thoughtful comments. ❤
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You’re so welcome dear Carol‼️❌⭕️
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Carol, perhaps Ancestral wisdom cannot be comodified and is thus invisible to many. Perhaps that as always been so.
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Wise words, Michael. Thank you. ❤
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I am so touched by this, dear friend. Megwetch and Love.
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Sending you thanks for the inspiration, Trace, and for your lovely comments. ❤
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Very fine post Carol! Roots both hold us back, and allow us to flourish. It is a conflict. Bob
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Such a powerful insight, Bob! Roots do, indeed, anchor us even as they nourish us. Thank you! ❤
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Hi Carol, roots can also keep us making the same mistakes of our fathers and mothers. I have been guilty of this. Some of the things I love the most don’t necessarily help my family or I. Yet I can’t let them go. Luckily, I have a family who understands. Once again Carol, your post has been thought provoking beyond a few words comment. If we were closer, a fishing trip and campfire would solve this problem and allow us to rememorate on what makes us so. Take care. Bob
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Thank you for your always thoughtful comments, Bob. How I wish we could spend time talking by a campfire after a day on the lake. I would love to see the beautiful clear skies in the mountains at night, and meet your amazing family. Sending my best wishes to you.
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