a man was given a cactus. the cactus was green, and prickly and would prick if one handles it incorrectly.

the man loved and treasured the cactus; it was a thing of beauty, and he brought the cactus to his new office and watered it daily. not too much, or the cactus would be overwhelmed, nor too little: then the cactus would not grow. the cactus flowered. and it pleased the man greatly. it brought comfort in a unfamilar surrounding.

the man went abroad for 2 weeks. to his horror, he realized that he forgot to bring his cactus along.

when the man returned, the cactus stood, as beautiful as ever, and as strong as ever. the cactus withstood the neglect of the man because it had been well watered and well cared for and the cactus was a tough, tough plant.

the man was relived. the watered the cactus immediately and continued to do so, and the cactus flowered. and it pleased the man greatly.

now here comes the sad part, the fault of many of us- the man started to take the cactus for granted. how very often do we take the things closest to us, the things of great beauty and the things that pleases us greatly as a given and fail to appreciate them? worst, we neglect them as the man overlooked the cactus.

the man was busy with his work, with the endless projects the needed to be handed in. the man wasn't busy with work per se, he was busy with his new colleagues too. as he began to know his new friends, he started to "un-know" his old ones. upon reaching his office every morning, the man now greeted his new friends, headed to the pantry together, shared stories while making coffee etc... what he did not do was to water his cactus as he did.

but the cactus survived. the cactus was a tough, tough plant. the cactus survived the cold of the air-conditioner of the office, the stifling staleness of the locked office at night with no fresh air, and worst of all, the cactus had to survive the neglect of the man, the cactus had to survive without water. but survive it did, because the cactus was a tough, tough plant.

days became weeks and weeks became months and the months almost became a year. the cactus was tough. but it was after all, a plant. and plants require water to live. slowly, the cactus drooped. slowly the cactus yellowed, losing it's gorgeous green glow. slowing the cactus withered. all these happened in the time which almost became a year. all these, the man was oblivious to. the man was just caught up with his work, and his awesome new friends.

one day, the man came into the office feeling rather down and was looking for some solace from his cactus which always brought him much joy. he was shocked. (and everyone else was shocked that he was shocked) the shriveled cactus was an awful sight to behold. it was dying, and yet it still held to it's spikes resolutely. but this time, the spikes did not add to the cactus' beauty. it made the cactus look menacing. as though the cactus was protecting itself from further harm.

the man was shocked. hurriedly, he got watered the cactus. but the cactus would not absorbed the water, it could not. it was too little too late, but the man refused to believed it. he wanted to fight. he claimed that the cactus was too important to him. he would not accept the sometimes, despite one's best efforts, it just ain't enough.

there was no happily ever after. the cactus died. never would it flower, never would it please the man greatly again.

the cactus was a tough, tough plant, but never would it flower, never would it please the man greatly again.