Two Potted Plants

— from I’ll Sing Again Tomorrow

Moma has been caring for two potted trees she found last month being tossed away. Seems she gave these trees away about five years ago and was glad to take them back, explaining to me how they have grown. All they need is love and care. She waters them and cleans the leaves daily. Finding their height to be a bit tall for her porch, she carried them down to the corner garden of Park Pointe to set them up where they can get the rain and sun. They seem to be thriving there. Makes her happy. They are artificial. Though the trunk is real, the leaves are not.

I became aware of this a while back and never shared it with Moma. I didn’t want to upset her reality. It doesn’t really matter that she is watering artificial plants; it makes her happy to care for them. We all should remember that one’s reality may be different from another’s. Reality is not just facts but also personal emotions and circumstances. If we could learn to accept realities other than our own, life would be simpler.”

— I'll Sing Again Tomorrow: A Memoir by Mucci, Rene, Terry