I have an emotional support plant

To plant lady, or not to plant lady?

Questions for you, dear readers:

- Do pets count as siblings,

- If so, how far are we going because 8 fish in the fishtank makes a lot of siblings...

- Why is cheese called cheese..like is there an origin for that word? (Very different to the Italian formaggio or French fromage)

- Fun fact: I like languages

- Fun fact #2: Learning Italian has made me realise that ENGLISH IS WEIRD

- Fun fact #3: Realising that "ENGLISH IS WEIRD" has helped me to sympathise with non-native English speakers. It's like we took all the WRONG ways to do language and went "Yup. Job well done."

No. Someone re-mark the assignment, please.

Job NOT well done, because someday when I buy a house in Italy and live off Bufala Mozzarella, I need to be able to get my English words into Italian.

Not workin'.

(A fully-funded exchange trip to Italy might help though..........eh?)

Uh, plants. Plant lady am I, as the title suggests, I have an emotional support plant who is currently unnamed and I am running out of iconic go-to names.

My iconic "go-to" names, thank you for asking, are below:

- Harold (Hazza!) - this one's popular at the moment

- Gary (Gazza!)

- Barry (BAZZA!)

- Gerald (*tuts in Australian*)

- Kevin (One of the iconic Minions I'm pretty sure)

- Steve (STEVE-O)

- Darren (DAZZA!)

- Sharon (SHAZZA!)

(apologies if your name appears, there's nothing wrong with your name, it is iconic. and everyone else, yes your name is cool don't go cracking a hissy fit, you're not Oscar the Grouch.....NOT LITERALLY-)

Emotional support planty requires an iconic go-to name, and the iconic go-t0 names list requires an extension....

Please comment name suggestions! I'll accept anything iconic -this could include the name of a fave person, a character, or just a name that suits the vibe of this random human's emotional support plant! I'd love to hear them!

Plants.

I've always sort of justified having plants, because we're symbiotic - meaning, we are able to coexist, while (to a moderate extent) relying on or needing each other to continue to do so.

For our sciency humans, I am not an expert and will not use the sciency words....I don't honestly know if they exist for this, but this is a nerd-out space so feel free in the comments to go nuts in the explanation! But here's mine:

We breathe in Oxygen that is in the air, and breathe out CO2 (carbon dioxide)

Plants (technically speaking) "Breathe in" CO2 in the air, and "breathe out" Oxygen.

Photosynthesis and glucose and sunlight and all that jazz too.

But the BASIC GIST is the same for the resident (tiny and harmless) spider in my room that hung out with me for a while. His name was Derek. Or was it Dave? Eh.

I get bitten by mosquitoes and irritated by flies. Derek/Dave eats these annoying flying things so I happily let him live rent-free inside my room on the condition that the global population of these annoying flying things is reduced through his generous contribution.

Derek/Dave obliged, naturally because what was he gonna do, EAT ME?

Nup. I woulda' gotten the old glass and paper and flicked his butt out the door into the wilderness.

A plant lady, with a pen-pal, that catches-and-releases spiders.

Yes. That's me.

Even the GIANT huntsman in the downstairs bathroom that was ITCHING for a fight, that you and a friend had to tap with a WRAPPING PAPER ROLL in order to get down to head-height?

Yes...I released it. Mind you, it clearly was NOT getting out of the container which was swiftly chucked into the garden and tapped a few times with the wrapping paper roll..before being abandoned. And then we went into lockdown mode because jeez-louise that was a biggie.

Ha.

Plants. Let's go back to plants.

Plants, I believe, can give you a sense of purpose. They like listening to your weird music taste which is good too. (hey, no judgement here!)

I think that the act of caring for another living thing - a dog, a cat, fish, some plants, the monster under your bed named Igmor - there's something in it that gives you purpose.

Responsibility, I know, is a thing that comes and goes, and when it comes it stays and stays in it's plentiful amounts (like that magpie you fed and named Chill Kevin who immediately decided it was time to introduce the extended EXTENDED family)

It's still cool.

Cause you get to learn about the thing that you're looking after. What the cat wants when she meows at you and stretches from your lap. Why the dog decides to stand directly in front of the TV and stare at you. Every tiny emotional signal that can only be recognised by you, the closest (and awesomest) friend.

It is interesting how we can learn about each other, when we look after each other.

It is also interesting how by looking after each other, we are listening to, learning about;

empathising with

connecting to

and finally noticing

Each other.

There is no need to make this intimacy romantic. It exists in ways you cannot express, in everything around us, inside and out, up and down.

This love is dynamic and nonlinear.

It is everywhere and nowhere, all of the time.

The love (or hate) you have for your resident Kookaburras who are early risers is intangible and special.

The love you have for your best friend's sister's daughter who has a freckle in the shape of a wonky love heart is intangible and special.

The love you have for your new emotional support plant that represents a sense of unity only found between organisms who are able to coexist because of a complex and unique life cycle involving evolution, care, compassion, molecules, chemicals, the sun, the moon and stars, that gives responsibility and appreciation and purpose-

Is intangible, amazing, warm and fuzzy,

And so, so special.

Hold onto that,

And grow!

🌱

Psst! For those who are curious, my emotional support plant is a Heartleaf Philodendron, which is the plant in the cover picture! They love low-light and are low-maintenance, perfect for those "I killed a succulent" or "the cacti hate me" people. They're bossy too! Soil dry? Bit a' water, I'm droopy! Soil wet? Not thirsty! ✨

Looking forward to hearing your go-to iconic names and suggestions for my new plant!

Thanks for reading and whatnot

- Red 🌱✨