Looking forward is so important in life! Personal history cannot, however, easily be put aside in making the best of each day.

For this Nelia schlechteri on the one hand it looks good but on the other… Just as well there are no hands! The living part is smaller than all the shrivelled, dead parts. Next year could be very different in a number of ways but only growth in the present constitutes the life.

Plants don’t speculate or dream about tomorrow’s rain. As far as we know it’s all blind persistence, no bullets to bite and no spiritual insects calling with little prayers for next season’s flowers.

Every season counts, seed set soonest is the unwavering course of action as long as any juices remain, no personified capacity for an alternative wriggle out of life as is given (Williamson, 2010; Herre, 1971; iNaturalist).