Shengliver’s Note: Given little attention, the teen’s flower flourished. Have you ever loved someone or something “to death”, literally?

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 ethereal 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.

On teeming days, 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 said, “You are supposed to have left things as they were, son. Exposure to your excessive love 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. Left to its own devices, it simply took care of itself and flourished.

As the saying goes, let nature take its course.