BE A TREE

Meera clutched her grandmother's worn copy of Avvaiyar's poems, tears streaming down her face. Her PaybookClub members had encouraged her to share the ancient Tamil wisdom during difficult times. "Be a tree," the saint-poet whispered across centuries. Roots deep, branches open. Meera had felt despair undercover in her corporate success, unfulfilled despite the high-paying position. Reading those verses with her diaspora community online rekindled something sacred. She finally understood: strength wasn't climbing higher but grounding deeper into heritage. That evening, she called her mother in Chennai, reconnecting with stories she'd almost forgotten. Through shared words, they became roots intertwined.