Greetings! Welcome to Rooted Reflections !

My name is Jocelyn Willoughby and as you’ll come to learn from browsing through my blog, I am an avid reader, serial thinker, world traveler, culture enthusiast, loyal sister-daughter-friend, and a professional basketball player. 

This blog is a space to reflect on life. It’s a space where I will share some of my experiences (and not all good), lessons learned (some the hard way), and general thoughts on topics of interest. More often than not, these reflective thoughts are inspired by one of my recent reads.

As a professional basketball player, I live a unique life that lends itself to a unique perspective of the world. I get to travel throughout the country and across the globe to put a little orange sphere through a raised ring. When I describe my work in those terms, it reminds me how absurdly blessed I am! While the travel, exposure, and adventure can be thrilling, there are times when I crave a greater sense of stability and more specifically, a constant and more intimate connection to community. It is my hope that Rooted Reflections will be a landing spot where you and I can be immersed in a meaningful community. 

As I was envisioning the purpose and potential for this blog, the name “Rooted” just felt right. Roots function to first, absorb water, minerals and nutrients from its environment, and then spread them throughout the plant to support its growth. The experiences, skills, and knowledge gained through my travels are my water, minerals and nutrients. Rooted Reflections is a platform to spread them to those who graciously take the time to read my words.

Whether you walk away with a new community, an encouraging word, new ways of seeing/thinking about the world, or simply book recommendations, it is my hope that Rooted Reflections will be both enriching and empowering to you as you go and grow on your journey. Thanks for stopping by. I hope you’ll come back!