About twenty years ago, my young family, two kids at the time, moved from an apartment to a little rental home. I had been anxious to leave apartment life. I yearned for a yard so we could get a dog, a driveway that my children could skate on and ride bikes up and down, and I craved more than a mere four-inch wall between me and my screaming neighbors. Of course, the home wasn't perfect, but it was just right. And that's saying something.

The yard needed some tender, loving care and I was just the mom to give it. The side of the house boasted the ugliest overgrown ice plant (of some sort) I hade ever seen and it took up space that was the perfect spot for the yellow rose bushes I wanted to plant. So, I devised a plan. I would remove the unwanted shrub and plant roses in its stead. Easier said than done. The plant broke apart easily and I could tell it would be a nightware to dig up. After attacking it with a shovel, I decided it might be best to simply pull it out, but it was much too stubborn and heavy for me to accomplish alone.

So I evaluated the situation and found a rope. Tying it around the thickest part at the base, I then took the other end and tied it around the loop on the under side of my Sundance. Then I hoped in my car, rev'd the engine a bit and popped it slowly into gear and, like magic, the entire plant, roots and all, jumped right out of the planter and plopped into the middle of the driveway. My plan had worked; due, mostly in part, to a weak root ball and loose soil. It had nothing to do with my genius.

A thick foundation doesn't provide needed support unless it is rooted in cause or purpose. Skill must have roots in knowledge and experience in order for it to be strong and valuable. Together, knowledge and experience, bring real value to a skillset, creativity and tolerance bringing value to a mindset. Mindset sits side by side with skillset when it comes to "the root," the cause or purpose.

My new house, interestingly enough, has three major ice plant bushes - exactly like the one from twenty years ago - on a side of my driveway. My experience told me how to remove them but it didn't account for stronger roots and dry, compacted soil. The rope tied about the base merely sliced the plant off, decapitating it at its ten-inch diameter base. Roots provided unseen strength, hmmm, imagine that?

by rayannethorn