Shengliver’s Note: Given little attention, the teen’s flower flourished. Has your excessive love ever killed someone or something?

 

As a middle school student, I found a new flower on a hike in the mountains. So beautiful was it that I dug it out and moved it to our garden.

This was the most delicate flower I had ever seen. Therefore, I treated it with great caution. Carried away by its beauty, I could have stood in front of it admiring it for an hour.

One day a dog strayed into my garden. Afraid of canines as I was, I set out to drive it out. Luckily it did not take a lot of trouble to chase the animal away. From then on, I was extra careful about my plant lest it be ruined by the weather, a naughty kid or a pet.

When it was teeming, I would shelter my flower under an umbrella. In order to fertilise the soil, I left leftovers around it. I thought my effort and care would pay off. Unfortunately, it turned out that I was wrong.

Despite my attention to the plant, it became weaker and weaker as days wore on. Seeing the withered foliage, Mother told me that I was supposed to have left things as they were and that exposure to my excessive love actually did disservice to the flower.

Some time later, I encountered the same flower again on my hike. I transplanted a new one to my garden. Drawing on my experience with the first flower, I decided to let it be.

Months later, I came home from school. When the flower greeted my eye, hardly could I believe it. The plant was lush and strong. Given little attention, it simply took care of itself and flourished.

As the saying goes, let nature take its course.