A Me Tree

Roots

 I value...

 - My family

 - Relationships with other people

 - Enjoying life

 - Compassion

 - New experiences

 - Communication

 - Nature

 - Learning

 - Humor

 - Music / Art / Expression

Trunk

 I show this through...

 - Spending time with "my people"

 - Sharing with others

 - Looking on the bright side

 - Reserving judgement

 - Trying (almost) everything at least one

 -  Learning foreign languages / Learning about other cultures

 - Traveling

 - Appreciating the beauty of the world (I'm very fortunate to live in Washington!)

 - Going to college

 - Telling jokes and laughing often

 - Playing instruments / Singing / Dancing / Drawing

Branches

 This labels me as ...

 - a People person

 - Giving

 - Positive

 - Accepting / non-judgmental

 - Adventurous

 - Bilingual (a Spanish speaker) 

 - Well traveled

 - a Greener / "Dirty Hippie"  :)

 - Educated

 - Funny

 - Musical / Creative

 

 - - - - I believe my roots and actions are directly related to my labels.  They make up who I am as a person, and I try to be as true to myself as I can be when I am around others.  I feel like others see what is important to me by the way I act, and label me based on those aspects.  (I hope they do, at least) - - - - 

Mi Gente

My People are not only white, middle-class Americans; 

Although that is how I started out.

In the same way, my People are not only my family;

Although that is how they started out.

In the beginning I had only my family

to learn from

to love

to be in community with.

But my family laid the groundwork for my life,

and taught me who to be

so that I could find mi gente;

so that I could find my people.

My family is the core of my People.

It is diverse - it is different.

My family is African, but not black,

and it also a little black, but not African.

It has lived in South America,

it has lived in Michigan,

and also in Tenino.

My family has been born,

sometimes with disabilities,

and has had illegitimate children,

and has sometimes died.

It has taught me to keep my chin up.

To be diplomatic.

To believe.  

And to love everyone as if they were my family.

So mi gente is no longer only my family,

but everyone that I care about or has shaped my life.

They are my friends, confidants, pals. 

Mi gente speaks many languages -  

English, Spanish, French, Swahili, Kirundi, Khmer, Chinese, Russian, Turkmen, German, Danish, Thai and more.

Mi gente, like my family, is different. It is unexpected and big.