random thoughts: knowing when it's time

I'm not sure when we got the plant above ... it's been a couple of years, at least  ... but some time after I got it, I learned that it is called a Christmas cactus, for the plant's propensity to bloom right around Christmas time.  This year it's going mad.

I'm so intrigued by this:  how does a plant -- something that, in theory, isn't sentient -- know exactly when it's time to bloom?  We've moved this plant around, but mostly it stays inside, where there are no changes in temperature to speak of, so it's not like there are any seasons that affect its growth.  And yet, like clockwork, a couple of weeks before Christmas, this thing explodes.  That's amazing, right?  Am I the only one that thinks this seems completely amazing? 

Also, it makes me wonder whether the cactus is actually hinting at me.  Maybe it's saying that perhaps I should trust me intuition more.  Maybe, instinctively, all living beings know when it's time to bloom.

Or maybe I should just go make myself a cup of tea.

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Song:  All that I want by The Weepies