Dear World.

I bought a lucky bamboo plant in January of this year. I have misted, watered, spoken with and sunned that bastard consistently and with love.

In return, there has been no reciprocation. The plant, for whatever reason, has decided to shrivel up and be on the verge of death. Despite my most valiant efforts, it withers more with each new day.

The lucky bamboo hasn’t brought me much luck either. The situations experienced since being a plant parent has provided the total opposite. The bad juju has outweighed the good.

For the life of me, however, I refused to give up on this “bad lucked” plant. Why? Cause i’d be a wicked parent to not nurture and care for my baby. And who wants that? Not I.

As I reflect on my relationship with this plant and how bad of a mother I am proving to be – I can’t help but think that human relationships are quite similar.

We invest in the lives of others and we welcome them into ours – so much so that the relationship doesn’t blossom with symbiosis (which is often evenly yoked.)

You’ll find that you’re pouring continuously from your cup without refill and then realise (when it’s too late) that you’re on E.

We become blinded by people’s and/or a relationship’s potential and what they could be or should be so we stay with that idea of the person or the relationship.

The same way I say my lucky bamboo should bring that good fortune is how we tend to view what we share or have with others. But it doesn’t always turn out this way.

But…news flash! We must, at some point smell the wilting plant and give up. Allow the plant to die. Allow that relationship to die.

Clearly nothing good is in store coming for both parties. Allow the debris of what you thought was a firm foundation for friendship – or in my case, a “lucky” plant – to build newness and sturdiness on.

I decided to let the lucky bamboo just be and live its miserable plant life till the death with no more life saving efforts on my part.

Sometimes, this is the approach needed for real life human relationships. Stop pumping life while you neglect yours and get nothing in return. A relationship is about give and take. If all you do is give – something is wrong with that. If all you do is take – there’s something wrong with that too.

How do you intent to treat the “bad lucked” bamboo plants in your life?