Today is a story of a tree.

A family tree.

My family tree. 

A tree whose roots burrow back in time 

to Seon-Chun. My tree was planted in North Korea, 

the shadow forest behind the hedge of friendly trees.

She tells of great-grandparents, wealthy and Christian, who served as the trunk of their community, 

funding churches

and education for girls, 

disregarding cultural gender norms.

But then a storm brews, imminent and menacing:

The rise of a tyranny that hates religion and wealth, and suddenly

My great-grandparents are targets for their “crimes”

punishable by death

by the communist government.

But, they refuse to sacrifice their freedoms of speech and religion,

so they gather what limbs remain of the tree and flee to South Korea to start again. There, they continue 

planting seeds, 

serving new neighbors, 

and investing in children’s education. 

I take the seeds my ancestors preserved

and cultivate my branch of the tree.

Because I know that axes can be put to the trunk and roots can be uprooted, 

but a seed can always sprout again. 

I can always try again for us.

I weave the vines of the past with my hopes of the present

and a tendril with a new dream is born.

I hope to graft my story of liberty into America’s forest

and protect it from the chopping blades of the unfriendly world outside.

I will lead America in sowing the seeds of education for our future generations

and nurturing the freedoms of speech and religion in our policies.

Reaching out my hands, I intertwine with the roots of my fellow citizens,

and together,

I know we will weather all the storms.