Hi Lia,  It is a pleasure to meet you.  Yes, I love that poem also. I had it sent to me a few months ago and I saved it to read when I am feeling really down and hopeless. The flower is a Hibiscus blossom that I have. I am proud of it. I bought it last summer and was just beautiful.  I brought it inside to my basement to protect it from the cold winter. The poor thing looked like it was dead. I often thought I should just throw it away, but I kept remembering the beautiful blossoms from the Summer.  It lost all its leaves and was just bleak brown twigs. I kept watering it throughout the winter. Then I noticed close to Spring that it had a tiny leaf trying to emerge and grow. I kept watering it and put it back outside on my porch for the summer. My neighbors must have thought I was nuts. It looked like a dead plant. I still kept watering it and giving it plant food occasionally. Slowly through the summer it kept growing leafs until finally it again looked like a living plant. Just these last weeks, at the end of summer I noticed it had buds. It has bloomed, it made it at last! They are such a gorgeous color and I have enjoyed the beauty of each blossom that finally opened and showed its true self.  Unfortunately autumn is back and the days are getting colder. I brought it back inside to protect it from the cold and enjoyed the final blossoms. It is slowly starting to drop leaves again. I don't know if it will go through that same process again or not, but I will keep watering it and caring for it, in hopes to see it bloom again next year. It kind of made me stop and think. How much I resemble that plant. I often feel dead inside and think it is useless to keep trying, but I do. I feed myself and go through the daily motions of life. There are short periods where I begin to feel the possibilities of something better. A renewal and new direction in my life. I will keep on caring for myself and patiently wait for my time to bloom!   I hope some more of you speak up and introduce yourself and share.  I'd love to find some friends and encouragement to help each other bloom.  Take Care. Sharon   Pastiche Stationery for Outlook Express www.pastichestationery.co.uk

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