This summer I had the pleasure of being assigned to read a beautiful autobiography. Within this autobiography I found: pain, heartache, desolation, love, false prophecy and so much more. I can definitely say that it struck a chord in me. Adeline Yin Mah's autobiography is a must read for all people no matter the background, however it did make me truly think: What are my roots?

Within Falling Leaves Adeline is faced with familial adversities and she never gains any true love or care. This caused her "roots" to be her Aunt, the only person who truly cared for her.

Are your roots your family?

Everyone, no matter where you are from, says that your roots are your family. Family is the key to unlimited happiness. I have been told that your family will never forsake you. Your family is the only true relationship you will have in the end. Family is blood. Blood is forever.

How true is that? How much can family mean to one person? In Adeline's life she only continued to stay in touch with her family because she wanted to win their love. Love should not be a prize. Love is an unconditional thing despite your gender, weight, sexuality, appearance and disabilities. Families are comprised of humans and humanity is a very skewed concept.

Yes, your roots can be your family but that's all about perspective.

Perhaps your roots are those that care for you.

Sure, family is important but don't you find that the people that care for you are your family in a sense. In Adeline's life her family basically played her her entire life. Aunt Baba was distant family but she never stopped caring for Adeline.

I have learned that I, personally, return to the people that care about me. When I am on a downward spiral I won't reach out to my family (Not to say that they don't care about me) but I reach out to my friends because they are my roots. Tori, India, Parker, Musu and Kaitlyn are my roots. I have chosen them to be where I dig in. I have chosen to love them and because I have chosen to love them I have fallen so hard. I have fallen with all of my steel-born heart.

So my question is this:

Do you believe that your roots are chosen for you?

Because I do not. I believe that you choose your roots. I believe that the people that you love and the people that choose to love you back are the people that begin to mean the most to you.

The love of someone who does not feel obligated to love you is the purest love of all.

I call that form of love: Friendship