Outspoken

• I spotted this tree in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi, in June 2026. I had seen countless beautiful trees across the island, but this one demanded to be noticed. Its massive roots rose from the ground and disappeared beneath it again, weaving in and out of the earth as if they refused to be hidden.

I stood there mesmerized. There was something almost defiant in the way she revealed everything that held her upright. Most roots survive quietly beneath the surface, carrying the weight of the world without ever being seen. Hers were different. They stretched openly across the earth, bearing the footsteps, pressure, and weight placed upon them without shrinking or breaking.

It felt as though she were showing off, but not from vanity. She had earned the right to be seen. She knew exactly what she had endured and what she was capable of surviving. Nothing resting upon her could frighten her because the very thing carrying the weight was also the source of her strength.

Perhaps that is what it means to become outspoken. Not to shout, but to stop concealing what has kept you alive. To let your scars, your history, and the tangled parts of your story rise to the surface without apology.

Some strength remains buried.

Hers refused to stay silent.

(Inspired by a photograph I took of the actual tree.)

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