An unfinished metaphor

One day the little leaf opened her eyes. The root worked hard to
provide the leaf with all it needed: nutrients, water, a strong stem
to support her. The root felt the heat of the sun through the little
leaf and knew its work was not in vain. The root continued to strive
against the confines of the dirt, digging deeper and deeper to send
more and more energy to the growing leaf. The leaf and its stem
grew fatter and enjoyed the sun. The leaf sent thanked the root and
invited the root to come up and take a break, enjoy the sun and the
breeze. The root insisted that was not possible.

One day, the little leaf and its stem fell away from the root, the
mother plant. The initial shock was jarring, just air. Dehydration
felt a real threat for the first time. The leaf, though grown,
could not reach toward the sky, but lay flat. Soon, it found its
way, alone into a glass of water. Upright, the leaf felt better.
The water refreshed, but was not as good as all the constant flow of
hearty meals from the mother root.

Soon, the leaf grew small tiny roots, reaching into the water. Still
lonely in the tiny jar, the leaf would long for the root, calling to
the root to come up into the sun and see the leaf. The root would
call back praise for the leaf's ability to survive in the small glass
vase and for the sprouting little roots. The mother root was proud
how the leaf followed her example.

Then, the leaf grew roots that were long and tangled. She continued
to stay in the glass vase, enjoying the sunlight throughout the tip
of her nose to the toe of her root. The mother root suggested she
get a pot and some dirt to hide her unruly roots. The leaf refused,
enjoying the light and freedom of floating in water. The mother root
grew resentful. "I never knew you hated life in the pot so much.
You must be glad to be rid of me." The leaf was confused that her
happiness could make the mother root so sad.

Soon, the leaf got a larger vase and was joined by some other leaves
with equally long and tangled roots. Their roots grew together in
the sunlight of the vase, exposed and thriving. They swam among
each other day and night. The potted mother roots did not
understand this behavior and dug deeper into the earth. Where did
they go wrong? If the new leaves would not dig into the earth, then
they must dig deeper, stay longer. Eventually, not new leaves grew
in those pots.