This week I found myself thinking about the people who make us who we are; those who drift in for a season and those who stay to hold us steady. Someone once compared people to parts of a tree. Some are leaves, some are branches, and a few are roots.

It is a simple image, yet it carries profound truth about how we grow. We often talk about flourishing as an individual pursuit through good habits, balance, purpose, or mindset. But true human flourishing is deeply relational. It is the people around us who help us become whole, who teach us to stretch, and who ground us when life gets rough.

Leaf People

Leaf people come into your life for a short season. They are like spring leaves, bright, fresh, and full of movement. They bring colour, creativity, and energy when you need renewal. But when the season changes, they drift away.

That can hurt, especially when you have shared something meaningful. Yet leaf people serve a purpose. They often appear at moments of transition, to inspire change, help you see differently, or remind you that beauty does not always last forever.

From a flourishing perspective, they teach us to live with openness. They help us embrace impermanence without bitterness, to take the good they bring, and to let go when it is time. The key is not to hold on, but to be grateful, to honour their season and the growth they sparked.

Branch People

Branch people are stronger than leaves. They stay longer, sometimes for years, and offer real support. They are the colleagues who stand beside you through pressure, the mentors who guide you through challenge, or the friends who listen when life feels heavy.

But branches have limits. If the weight becomes too much, they can break. That does not make them disloyal; it simply reveals their capacity.

Branch people stretch us. They challenge our thinking, widen our view, and help us reach goals we could not reach alone. They are an essential part of our flourishing story, even if their role is not forever.

In leadership, I have seen this pattern many times. Teams and friendships often thrive for a season and then naturally shift. The wisdom lies in recognising when something has served its purpose. We flourish when we can bless that change instead of fighting it.

Root People

Root people are rare. They are the ones who do not just stand beside you; they hold you. They nourish you from beneath the surface, anchoring you in what truly matters.

You may not see or talk to them every day, but you feel their strength when life gets hard. They are the ones who remind you who you are when the noise gets loud. They love without agenda, stay without condition, and tell you the truth when others will not.

Research on human flourishing reminds us that love and belonging are essential to a life well lived. Root people embody that truth. They grow with you through every season.

There is something sacred about that kind of love. Root people remind us that fidelity, trust, and community are holy things, the slow, unseen work that allows life to bear fruit.

When I think about the root people in my own life, I realise they have done more than support me. They have helped shape my vocation, steadied my faith, and taught me what it really means to flourish.

Flourishing Together

Flourishing never happens alone. We grow in relationship, through the people who challenge us, stretch us, comfort us, and occasionally leave us. Each one plays a role in our becoming.

If you have root people in your life, thank them. Tell them what they mean to you. And then ask yourself, whose flourishing am I helping to nurture?

Because flourishing is not only about who holds you up; it is about who you hold steady when their branches are shaking.

So appreciate the leaves for their colour, respect the branches for their strength, and cherish the roots for their depth. Protect them, water them, and never take them for granted.

This week reminded me again how grateful I am for the roots in my own life, the people who steady me when the winds pick up and who remind me that flourishing is never a solo act.

They are the quiet foundation of every flourishing life.

If you want to chat further reach out. Happy to have a yarn.