Family Isn’t Always Forever

A seed was planted and so it began. It broke through the soil as a vulnerable twig dancing in the wind. Growing quietly and steadily, bathed in the the light, it flourished.

With nourishment from Mother Earth, it strengthened. New limbs formed. New life followed. It blossomed with all the goodness its environment offered. The branches moved in unison, swaying together, protecting one another—after all, they shared the same roots, and what was good for one was meant to be good for all.

As the tree grew, its roots grew stronger, anchoring it to Mother Earth as deeply as possible. Its branches expanded too, stretching outward and blooming in all directions. Some reached so high they lost touch with the roots below. They began to absorb the toxins in the air—and discovered they liked the taste of bitterness.

They couldn’t get enough of it, in fact. They breathed it in willingly, deeply, again and again, until the poison spread from branch to branch. Some partook eagerly in the ritual of darkness, greedily gulping up the toxins as if starved for them.

Others, however, remembered the light. They pushed the toxins away and continued to bloom—beautifully, in fact. These branches flourished in the light, forming vibrant new buds. They fully embraced the nourishment Mother Earth provided, carefully protecting what was tender and new, sheltering their delicate growth from the darkness that lived within the tree itself.

As more life bloomed in the light, the ecosystem began to fracture. A hairline split appeared—small at first, almost imperceptible. One half of the tree grew dark and gnarled, ugly in every way, consuming toxins as if they were candy. The other chose the light, believing the world held more good than bad, embracing all the complexity nature offered and standing resilient—stronger than the storm.

The roots remained. They had always been the same, they would always be the same.

But the split? That is permanent. The light could no longer pretend the darkness was harmless. What was growing chose protection over proximity, ensuring the next generation would bloom unbroken.