Uprooted

SOURCE: ROSEMARIE MONNERJAHN

A girl who had been living with her father since her parents’ separation – whilst he was in the process of developing and deepening his relationship with a girlfriend – once sat crying at her grandparents’ house, fed up with the constant travelling back and forth: »I don’t even know where I belong anymore – in Neuwied, in Cologne or with you!«

We need a stable root system deep in the ground so that we can stretch out and move freely. The many uprooted trees in the wake of a tornado that recently swept through my hometown make this very clear to me once again. Healthy trees with deep taproots have the best chance of withstanding such a tremendous force. They are bent horizontally by the storm and lose branches, but they are not uprooted and can eventually stand upright again. It is a different story for trees whose roots, whilst spreading far and wide, are short and anchored only in shallow soil. They cannot hold the tree in place during a storm. If drought sets in and they have perhaps been without contact with deeper water for some time, the risk is even greater.

The same holds true for us humans.

We are existentially dependent on putting down deep, firm roots so that we can weather the storms of life. Every human child needs to burrow into the soil of stable, primal trust, into the safe haven of those to whom they belong – those who are there to nourish, sustain and guide them. All this requires plenty of time, space and consistency. Like a tree, a child needs good nourishment, water, light and air to grow deep and tall, and, above all, unconditional love. It seems so natural and simple, and yet so many people are uprooted. Is it due to junk food – always available, quickly satisfying, yet not life-giving? Does the soil no longer nourish? Do we not make the effort to drive our roots deep into the ground?

These days, the media are featuring many stories about Dolly Parton, the country and pop singer from Tennessee who invested a fortune in charity and whose death is being mourned by millions of people. I believe the open secret of her extraordinary life is that, despite her incredible success, she remained deeply rooted in her Tennessee mountains. She sang lovingly about them in her songs; she always maintained that connection, nurtured it and showed it to the world. And not only that: she always emphasised what made her great: her deep-rooted faith. To come from God and to be on a journey towards him, to seek and find the divine light in every person, and never to let prayer cease – this is what made her great; through this, she was always able to reach out for creative possibilities and further growth.

She was a person whom Psalm 1 happily praises, a person who finds »his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. And he is like a tree planted by streams of water, which gives its fruit in its time; and its leaf shall not wither, and all that he does, he makes prosper.«.

Let us become such people! The world needs them. May we, drawing on the strength of our roots, help others to grow deep, so that they may live truly. May children, like that girl back then, find stability with us and draw from the source from which we ourselves draw strength. Perhaps we can become for one another the soil that provides support and nourishment. Perhaps, right where we stand, we can counteract the threat of our people being uprooted. Perhaps we will become a home and offer a sense of belonging.

Rosemarie Monnerjahn

Vallendar, September 3rd, 2026