09:44 p.m. | 2005-11-10 Jaded. A while back, EldestSister gave me a jade plant. In her odd, sleight-of-hand sort of way. Basically, she asked me if I could take on a couple of her plants, which I readily agreed to, and then threw that one in the mix. I was thrilled and intimidated at the same time. I mean, after she gave them to me. She suggested, originally, that they were small plants. Mere houseplants that were suffering from a lack of light. It was only when I helped her load them into my car that I discovered that I was adopting several very large plants that, well, were really big. After they were all loaded, ES then informed me that she hadn�t watered them for many weeks so they all needed deep watering. And washing. She suggested that I might want to spend the next day giving them a shower in my shower prior to placing them about my place. Obviously, we don�t talk a lot. Or communicate well. It took all my might just to lug them from the alley, up several flights of stairs and into my flat. In case you forgot, or well, didn�t know, I live in a very small space. Hence, I placed the plants in the only place that was available � on top of a bookcase. A large bookcase. Which immediately hindered my ability to adequately water them since that bookcase is taller than me. The plants are grand though. More importantly, they�re still alive. It�s been many months now. I�m most intimidated by the jade plant. It�s very impressive and quite big. Yet, you know how jade plants are� or maybe you don�t. I�ve never been able to keep one alive because they�re so very sensitive. Any time you move it or even water it, it sheds leaves like an old winter coat on a hot summer day. You look at it funny? It sighs and immediately sheds. So, once I placed the jade plant, I gave it a wide berth. After very carefully watering it, of course. A shower? I don�t think so. I�ve been very respectful and frankly, haven�t touched it. In response, it�s shed some leaves and sprouted new ones. Yet� yet� one stem (branch) has absolutely died and I want to pluck it off so bad, but I can�t. I can�t because, amazingly, at the very end of this dead stem, there�s a branch of new growth. The new growth is hanging by a mere thread now but it�s thriving. I�d pluck it off except that it reminds me of me. I�m at that stage now where the old stuff is merely a thread in my life and the new stuff is so very present. There�s so much growth NOW. I�m so ready to recognize that the past is in the past, and while it matters, it doesn�t direct my life anymore. It�s what is in my future that is important. What I�m going to do now. What I feel, realize and believe. It�s all new. And, exquisitely kind. To both myself and others. It�s a new day. your thoughts? seed flower