In that moment of viewing the reeds I started to ponder whether or not the roots knew what was going on at the tip of the reed. Could the root feel the pull of the wind on the fluffy tufts, did it know how the reed stock was being forced to bend against its will?

And vice a versa, did the fluffy tuffs with all their seeds have any idea what was going on down at the roots? Did they understand how the roots were super busy gathering nutrient stores for the impending winter? And, for that matter, was it even relevant for one end to know what was going on with the other end - after all, weren't they all one?

As I stopped to get a close up of the tufts, one of the seeds from a tuft blew off and landed on my lip. I had chapstick on, so it stuck a bit, till I pulled it off and let it go on its way in the wind.



I thought about that seed and where would it land. The tuft had for sure a kajillion seeds so odds were pretty much in the plants favor that it would result in a new planting somewhere, and as you can see from the image, these plants are everywhere along the river's edge.

As I watched the reed seed fly off into the distance, I thought of the 'seeds' I have let fly out into the world - not just my children, but my thoughts, actions and words. 

I thought about my 'roots', biologically, experientially, socially, emotionally and even spiritually and how my 'roots' have contributed to how I have 'flowered' in the spring and summer of this year and my life in general.



But, I am also drawn to the unitary nature of the reeds and life in general. As a species, an interconnected root system and a shared, common purpose the reeds would not survive alone, they are not biologically wired for a solitary existence - and neither are we. 

As the winter looms ahead, I think of 'going to seed', just like the marsh reed, planning (and planting) for the spring.

What are your 'roots' and how have they shaped your growth? Like the reeds, we do not survive in isolation, we need the nurturing network of a complex root system to sustain us but not to restrain us.



What are your 'seeds'? What are you giving back to the world, what are you planting in the hearts and minds of those you share a close root system with and what seeds do you let fly into the wind, to land wherever they will...knowing, at the end of the day, we are all connected.

Thanks for taking the time to read me

Take care and care well,

Mary