Sacrifice
Do you remember the stories of mothers sacrificing all for their children? Giving up their own food for their children? It seems a newly discovered palm in Madagascar does something similar. It expends so much energy on flowering that it eventually collapses and dies.
"It has an unusual and spectacular lifecycle; growing to dizzying heights before the stem tip converts into a giant terminal inflorescence and bursts into branches of hundreds of tiny flowers. Each flower is capable of being pollinated and developing into fruit and soon drips with nectar and is surrounded by swarming insects and birds. The nutrient reserves of the palm become completely depleted as soon as it fruits and the entire tree collapses and dies a macabre death." [kew]
The story made me sad.
It made me think of fireworks, where you get a brilliant show before sudden complete darkness and death.
I always find fireworks depressing.
2 comments:
Fireworks are depressing?
Its not like thousand of children get burned by them given irresponsible use of them.... oh wait they do.
But still. Whenever there are fireworks, I'll be looking up, I might not have a huge smile, but I'm always happy when I stare at them... dunno why, I'm just happy.
I'm not a fan either...I can't help think that the millions of dollars spent on NYE fireworks displays could be better spent elsewhere...
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