Lessons from the Flower Pot: Understanding Parental Love and Unspoken Motivations

“This plant didn’t give any flowers for a while. I hate watering it,” said my Mom in a disappointed tone.

I was surprised. I replied, “Ma, it’s a plant. You can’t hate it for not flowering. Let it be on its own, no?”

Mom flinched. Still disappointed.

[A week later]

The plant was filled with flowers, so I picked the best four flowers and brought them to my Mum.

Mom: “Whaaat! Why on earth would you pluck these flowers????”

Me: [confused] “But.. you said you wanted them… a few days back..?”

Mom: “I said I wanted the plant to have flowers because it makes it look beautiful. Did I say I wanted them???”

Wait, what?!

That’s when the realization hit me.

My Mom was worried not because she didn’t get flowers. But because the plant looked empty without it.

That’s when another wave of realization came in.

Parents continuously keep giving us goals/motivating us to set higher goals, not because they want to see us achieve/do something.

But just because it looks good on us.

Let’s take a moment to appreciate the little to enormous love & protectiveness even before we see it from a parent’s POV…