Some time in October, the radiator heat sputters on, the sun gets stingy and the plant’s wax-leaved vines begin to shrivel and fall off. By April, the plant is spiky and parched, the leaves luster-free and a little bit dusty. I remove the dead foliage and start over, coaxing the plant back to health. Some foliage can be saved. That gap, I’ve realized, is the time it takes me to overcome all the ways I’ve been taught to value myself in the world.

Source: New York Times May 26, 2021 19:52 UTC