Leaf, Branch Or Root?

Tyler Perry periodically sends me inspirational e-mails so I will post a few here & there, this was too good NOT to share: WHAT KIND OF PERSON ARE YOU?


I said this in a play once as Madea... LOL. But I thought I'd revisit it as Tyler for those of you who may not have heard it :-)


I have this tree analogy when I think of people in my life, be it friends, family, acquaintances, employees, co-workers, whomever...They are all placed inside what I call my tree test. It goes like this:


LEAF PEOPLE
Some people come into your life and they are like leaves on a tree. They are only there for a season. You can't depend on them or count on them because they are weak and only there to give you shade. Like leaves, they are there to take what they need and as soon as it gets cold or a wind blows in your life they are gone. You can't be angry at them, it's just who they are.



BRANCH PEOPLE
There are some people who come into your life and they are like branches on a tree. They are stronger than leaves, but you have to be careful with them. They will stick around through most seasons, but if you go through a storm or two in your life it's possible that you could lose them. Most times they break away when it's tough. Although they are stronger than leaves, you have to test them out before you run out there and put all your weight on them. In most cases they can't handle too much weight. But again, you can't be mad with them, it's just who they are.



ROOT PEOPLE
If you can find some people in your life who are like the roots of a tree then you have found something special. Like the roots of a tree, they are hard to find because they are not trying to be seen. Their only job is to hold you up and help you live a strong and healthy life. If you thrive, they are happy. They stay low key and don't let the world know that they are there. And if you go through an awful storm they will hold you up. Their job is to hold you up, come what may, and to nourish you, feed you and water you.



Just as a tree has many limbs and many leaves, there are few roots. Look at your own life. How many leaves, branches and roots do you have? What are you in other people's lives?

Paraphrase: Reading this has helped me better understand what role people play in my life. Some people are meant for a season and some are meant for a lifetime. It's important to figure out which people fall into what category and treat them accordingly. If someone walks out of your life through no fault of your own, don't be upset because they fulfilled their purpose for that time. Not all relationships are meant to be close. It's the root people you want to keep on your team because they have been & will continue being there for you through it all. Branch people can only tolerate so much until they break. When that happens, you make a decision whether you want to help them develop into roots or cut ties with them. The choice is yours. I would rather have roots on my team than leafs or branches but again, reading this letter has helped me understand why some relationships last and others don't.