Everlasting Poinsettia

My mother, in an act of generous kindness,

selected a poinsettia from the large display in her church 

to bring to our home for Christmas.

She searched among many to find the prettiest one.

It is lovely!!!

The day she brought it to our front door was chilly so we both rushed to keep it warm, handling its tender leaves carefully.  

I placed it in a prominent place in my house 

and kept it watered.

Faithfully.

 I watched for the tips of the leaves to darken 

so I could trim them as needed,

maintaining the beauty of the plant as long as possible.

Even as the holidays were passing.

We planned a trip out of town for a few days so, before departing, I made sure our thriving plant was watered and free from drafts.

We returned home and I tackled the trimmings with vigor.

Climbing, crawling, packing--decorations and tree relegated back to storage.

I was quite pleased to see the brightness of the poinsettia 

had not dimmed.  Not one bit. 

 No drooping. No leaf dropping.  No shriveling.

I had never seen such a vibrant, long lasting plant.

I decided to dig around in the soil and among the inner leaves as I once again watered.

Hmmmmmmmm.

I noticed the stems felt particularly firm.

Peculiarly firm.

Then reality hit me in the head!

I began to laugh aloud,

standing alone in the foyer.

This plant, in all its splendor, was fake!!

Fake, I tell you.

I was still laughing when I called my mother.

She had just learned the truth that past Sunday at church.

We laughed together.

We decided I should keep the pretty plant,

displaying it each Christmas holiday to come.

And the story and laughter will brighten our home 
as much as the vividness of the red blossoms.

Maybe even more.