I have a little plant. It is just a simple sweet potato plant that I put on a pot. You may not think this plant is important. But let me tell you the story behind this little plant and you will know why this plant is very important. It is not just an ordinary plant. You will see many nice philosophies that I want even my own children to learn from this plant.

One day I bought two sweet potatoes from Asian shop in Vienna. I lived alone at that time and I usually cook by myself. I planned to cook those sweet potatoes and I did cook one of them. However, when the time for me to cook the second one, something jumping out of my mind. This small sweet potato has grown with a little leaf inside my cabinet. It was so scared that I will eat it and talked to me inside my mind as if in telepathy, "Please don't eat me. You have eaten my friend but I want to live."

I was so surprised. This plant can talk to my mind. How unusual sweet potato I have bought. Since I was alone and I need a friend, and I can eat something else today, okay, I said, I won't eat you as long you can prove that you will continue to grow. I leave the sweet potato inside the cabinet for a few more days without water and sun and indeed, it continued to grow.

"You have spirit to live", I said to the plant. "I like your spirit and I will help you to grow. But I don't have soil and I have only small pot for flower and I will put only water. Do you think you can survive only using water, without soil? At least for a while until I have time to buy soil and better pot for you" I can feel the plant is smiling and very happy.

The little plant was struggling to survive with only water. After a few days I saw it needed more than water because the leaves were growing to find the sun. Every evening, when I went home from my work, I greeted the plant and we started to chat for a while. The plant became my friend.

One day I could get some soil and I put little soil for it. Now it grew bigger with many leaves and it needed more sunlight. Thus I put the pot outside in veranda. It continued to grow with very long branches.

Since I did not see it, and I have been very busy with my work, I often forget about it. For many days the water became dry and there was storm and strong wind outside. But the little plant that has only little soil hold fast and struggling to survive. It survived and indeed it survived through many suffering and dangers.

This plant is my friend. I apologize that I completely forget and did not took a good care. I keep it now inside the room under the window. I really like this plant. It has a spirit to live and to struggle. It has spirit to survive and to grow. I want my own children to learn from this plant.

Now you can see why I like to tell the story about my little plant. When you just see it, it is just a normal sweet potato plant live in a pot inside my room. But when you know the story behind it, you will know that this plant is an extraordinary one. It gives me nice insight about life and friendship. It gives me astonishing meaning about struggle, survival and growth.