Your roots to your family are what made you who you are. Even if that means being nurtured and cared for, growing your leaves strong, or if that means the scars they leave on your trunks, your background will affect your values.

I was raised being taught the importance of honesty and hard work. I was taught that you’ll always get caught if you lie, and that owning up to your mistakes is the best. I was taught that stealing when you have other options is wrong, and that if I try hard enough I can overcome anything.

I was told to stick up for what I believe in and not care about what other people think about me. My roots to my family hold strong and the values I have hold with them.

So those leaves blossomed, those roots deep into my soul, and now I always try to follow those thoughts. I grew up watching people try to chop down trees around me, but their trunks held fierce, which gives me the beliefs that I can stay strong too, never falling.

My family and the experiences they showed me gave me the values I hold close today, and that’s why it’s important to not let people who don’t matter dig up those roots.