Here it is, my one source of domestic self-esteem. This is my mild-mannered office plant that I have managed to keep alive for (count it) four months. I know it sounds ridiculous but I feel warm and happy every time I look at it. It seems to say to me, "Yes, you got your husband a $5 Subway footlong last night and called it dinner, and, yes, you were even proud of yourself for that effort but it's all okay because I'm here and I'm still alive." It's an atonement for the entire ecosystem of flowers/bushes/etc. that I let wilt away on my deck last summer. And, most importantly, it's proof to me that someday I actually might be able to nurture higher life forms such as sea monkeys, dogs and children.

Thanks, little buddy. Keep hanging in there.