FamilyTree Reflection

Title: A Living Tree of Love – Mapping My Family from the Inside Out

On the 21st of September, 2024, I stood before a wall in my home, holding strands of coloured ribbon, as generations of my family flowed across paper and time. It wasn’t just a drawing—it was a living tapestry. A handmade family tree. A celebration of roots and relationships. A soul map.

The branches were not drawn by tradition but by feeling. Each strand of colour carried a whisper of connection. Every photo, every line, every twist of the crayon was a prayer, a question, a remembering.

Some family members are here in the flesh, others in spirit. Some I know intimately, others I’ve only met through the stories passed down or the ache of unfinished threads. Some have left pain behind; others, gifts of deep love. All are part of me.

This tree has sat in my room since that September day—quietly watching, gently reminding me that healing is not a solo journey. It is shared. It ripples. It echoes. It rewrites.

In my earlier book, My Bumpy Ride to Inner Peace, I dedicated an entire chapter to this work. In my current writing, I’ve chosen not to include photographs or illustrations. Not because they’re unimportant—but because I want the reader to create their own inner images. I want you to feel your own tree take shape.

But this image… this tree… It asked to be remembered. So I offer it here—not as decoration, but as witness.

What does your family tree feel like? Where do the roots tangle, and where do they stretch toward light? Whose stories live in your branches?

Sometimes healing begins when we simply lay out the threads. Sometimes, a wall becomes an altar.

And sometimes, by mapping who we’ve been, we finally begin to listen to who we are becoming.

— Lian