Have you seen the commercial on television about “Education Connection?” It has a catchy tune that my daughters have memorized and spontaneously begin to sing every now and again, similar to the way they sing the jingle associated with “Free Credit Report.com!” You are probably thinking that my daughters may watch too much TV, and my wife would probably agree with you! But that is not the point of this weekly update. Rather, what I am writing about this week is connection, and its importance to all of us as we go about the work of recovery. Just like the Redwood, or Sequoia, tree on the West Coast whose root system is extremely shallow BUT intertwined and matted with other trees growing alongside it, we can reach incredible heights, and the fruits of our work can last much longer if we work together. The oldest known Redwood tree is over 3,300 years old! Wouldn’t it be awesome if what we have done with MCMC could be remembered, fondly, for anywhere near that long? Continuing to explore the analogy of plants and root systems, many of you are probably familiar with the importance of pruning the plants within your garden. For those of you who are not familiar with this technique, the explanation is fairly simple. Every plant produces “shoots” that, if not pruned, or cut back, will take away nutrients from the branches of the plant that produce fruit, or blooms, or flowers that are necessary for the plant itself to survive and reproduce. These nonproductive “offshoots” can stifle growth and threaten the survival of the source plant if not tended by the gardener. I am not sure about you, but I do not want to be the branch that is not productive and therefore must be pruned!