Two years ago, I bought a poinsettia for $1.99 at the supermarket. It shriveled, then fell on the floor, then was near death when Maria decided to nurse it back to health.

I lost track of this rescue effort until this morning when I noticed it on our windowsill gallery in the living room.

It took a lot of work to bring this plant back to life, planting, re-planting, encouraging, watering, moving it from sunlight to sunlight.

This is something I would never have thought to do. But it grows on me, enriches me, deepens me. We rush through our distracted lives, missing the miracles all around us.

We pay attention to all the wrong things, and in so doing, hollow out our lives.

It looked fine and happy to be back. Saving plants and flowers is a new thing for me, very satisfying, uplifting, and grounding.  It teaches me to respect all life and to love life in a world that doesn’t always treat life well.

Welcome back, poinsettia.