ANCHOR (SEARCH)

watercolor on watercolor paper

To anchor is defined as "to secure firmly in position," "to provide with a firm basis or foundation," or, more specifically, "to moor a ship to the sea bottom."  To search means "to try to find something by looking or otherwise seeking carefully and thoroughly," or "to examine thoroughly in order to find something or someone."

When given the word anchor, of course, the first thing that sprang to mind was the physical word anchor, which is a noun, describing a heavy piece of metal capable of holding ships in one place, keeping them from drifting. A powerful word.  But the verb to anchor is equally powerful.  When a person is anchored, one is firmly stationed in a physical place or figurative situation; one can be said to have solid ground under his or her feet.  When combined with the verb search, I thought of the desire to search for answers while in a certain situation that seems permanent.  Along with this came the word roots.  Roots of trees and vegetation essentially anchor plants to the ground, keeping them firmly rooted to a spot.  Often, we may feel like trees.  Are minds, hearts, and even our physical bodies can seem to be anchored to a certain place.  We feel more at home in some places than others, with some people more than others.  When we are searching for answers, our personal roots anchor us to the ground, and we can often find the answers that we seek merely by being who we are and remembering how we got there.

"All things must come to the soul from its roots, from where it is planted."
Saint Teresa of Avila