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The California Redwoods tower 300 feet overhead, and average 30 feet in diameter and 94 feet in circumference. The tallest of them all is nearly 380 feet—more than six stories taller than the Statue of Liberty!

To put it simply, they’re enormous.

It would seem that such huge trees would need a huge root system—that something reaching up so high could only be supported by low, deep roots.

And yet, surprisingly, the roots of the world’s largest trees are shallow by comparison—only five feet deep. Unlike other trees, redwoods don’t reach down to find their own stability and life. Instead, they reach across, to one another.

Redwoods endure because their roots intertwine. They’re inextricably connected to one another.

Redwoods are strong because they grow close together and lean on each other.

In storms and high winds, redwoods stand because they aren’t alone. They actually hold one another up.

It’s the same with Blackbox.

Our boys find strength and life, not in standing alone, but in the support system around them. They endure because they lean on houseparents, teachers, counselors, and one another.

Like the world’s tallest trees, our boys stand firm in life’s storms—reaching higher than the rest—thanks to the roots of those around them, holding them up.

Thank you for joining our root system. Thank you for intertwining your heart with theirs, and for inextricably connecting to the boys whose story must change. May the boys stand firm and grow higher than the rest, because they reach across to one another—and to you.

 

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