My mom asked me what I wanted for my birthday. I’m not particularly attached to the concept of celebrating a birthday, but I still said:

“Some indoor plants would be nice”.

I thought that would be a good gift. Some greenery would certainly improve the ambience and air quality of my room.

In comes my indoor cactus.

Well, it was labelled as a cactus, but given my Grade 11 education in Biology, and quick searching on Wikipedia, it would appear as though this specimen is not classified as a cacti.

It falls under the botanical group of succulents, but that wouldn’t make a good title.

Let’s call it a cactus.

It’s a cute, little plant that lives beside me, on my desk. It has a very calming presence, and helps me be present.

Once a week I water my cactus, and periodically monitor its life in my day-to-day.

It’s brought me a tiny sense of purpose – I have a responsibility to look after and manage its growth.

It reminds me of a famous quote by Marcus Tullius Cicero:

If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.

I’m learning this to be true.