As we make our way haltingly through life there are but a few things that have accompanied us in the long haul. One case in point is a stalwart bit of greenery that has quietly bided its time with us for better than forty years. It was given to us by a previous owner who had nurtured and cared for it untold years prior to its adoption by us. It has determinedly gone about its business, as we have ours, shouldering the vagaries of life and living.

It is a hoya plant with long trailing shoots and waxy leaves that keep it alive during times of stress and drought. Oft times that drought is weekly...