The Most Inspiring Plant I Have Ever Met

Cactus standing tall in a harsh and barren landscape, central amidst a vast nothing littered with rock sand and clay. Holding strong and not moving a muscle when faced with the most relentless and extreme temperatures on either end of the spectrum. Making use of everything it encounters where most creatures would falter or give up. The great Cactus, pragmatist by nature turns every harsh element into food water shelter and life giving substance.

Cactus does not play by the rules, it has its own customized ideal adaptive design, it listens not to any other plant or animal as to what it should or should not be. Cactus has its very own ancient knowledge buried deep within, this knowledge far beyond the comprehension of any other creature... It just knows.... Because of this inherent knowledge it survives where all else would not. Cactus has designed itself in every way to make use of each and every experience throughout its lifetime. Not only does the great Cactus survive, it thrives, producing beauty with great colorful flowers designed specifically to suit the tastes and needs of the fellow insects and animals that share the desert with it, delivering just what they look for at just the right time. On goes the Cactus to produce something from what all else consider nothing, Cactus creates fruit for its fellow desert dwellers further solidifying itself as a mainstay for all desert life, an indispensable component of the ecosystem. With it's great insight the Cactus plans ahead and stores water both for itself and for those who are not capable or so savvy to the potential of upcoming lack of resources, in its wisdom the cactus has the foresight to prepare for such conditions that may prove disastrous for many other creatures that lack the ability to prepare for what lies ahead.

Often misunderstood, thought to be an uncaring, and dangerous due to its appearance or perhaps an encounter with its painful coat of spines, when in reality so generous and giving is the cactus, that it has to put on a coat of armour in order to avoid being taken advantage of, the cactus scars easily, but wears those scars with pride, as every scar as far as time can remember has made the Cactus the incredible individual that exists today. Underneath that treacherous coat lies a very sensitive, and generous core willing and able to provide food, shelter, and water for those creatures that approach it with respect. If the Cactus is mishandled or manipulated it will defend itself leaving its opponent with something significant to remember for all time. Working each new experience into its ancient wisdom the Cactus continues to become more adept at conquering the unthinkable, and doing that in its own unique way.

Wouldn't it be great to be like the mighty Cactus, thriving amidst the unthinkable, making massive contributions to everything around you, being both fierce and overwhelmingly generous and caring in the same move, pragmatic to the end using every resource to its maximum and giving back as much if not more than it has used, learning, growing, and building from each experience, wearing scars with pride, creating beauty in a place where otherwise little to non exists, doing what it does best unconcerned with the actions of others, finding that individuality and insight allow the odds of what is possible to be beaten.

All of this makes Cactus the most inspiring plant I have ever had the pleasure of meeting.