Fate, dressed in her finest clothing and with a smile on her face, did me a good favor on a pleasant afternoon a few years ago. Some may call it good luck. However, I was never inclined to believe in luck, either good or bad. Perhaps I should call it destiny - a combination of human intelligence and divine will. Whatever it was, it gave me a good feeling and an illusion of good things to come.

Driving into the parking lot of my greenhouses on that day was a large delivery truck filled with a variety of bedding plants, an assortment of hanging baskets filled with lush looking ferns and other trailing plants whose branches hang out over the sides of the basket creating a cascade of attractive leaves.

The driver of the truck was a man we called Duffy, a congenial and knowledgeable man who walked with a limp that was only noticeable the first time you met him. After that, everything seemed normal – Duffy’s personality overshadowed any physical disability he might have.
After our order was unloaded and the plants placed in the areas where they would be on display, my attention was focused on a hanging basket containing a plant called German Ivy, an old fashioned plant with oval leaves that are a solid green in color. But this basket looked different. A close examination revealed one long stem with leaves that were variegated - green with shades of a cream color on each leaf. This was an exciting discovery and I immediately set the basket aside for further investigation, knowing that mutations like this could be developed into a new variety of the old fashioned German Ivy plant.

My intention was to discover if this mutation could be replicated by causing roots to grow on a vegetative cutting from the plant. With diligent care and a sharp knife, I removed a cutting about four inches in length, leaving about three inches of the stem with the variegated leaves for a second try if the first one failed. Inserting the cutting in a growing medium that I had used before with success, I carefully placed it on the inside ledge of a picture window in my house that faced the east.

After a period of about two weeks, with the help of daily prayers and crossed fingers, I had success! Roots had formed and I transplanted the rooted cutting into a larger container where it continued to grow in a twining fashion just like the mother plant. I continued the process of removing tip cuttings from new rooted plants until I had produced about six generations of this new unique German Ivy plant.

The thought then occurred to me that new and different strains of plants could be patented if they passed all the stipulations, regulations and rules of the United States Patent Office. I knew that being granted a patent was a formidable effort on my part, but it was a challenge that I could not turn away from. I knew there were Patent Attorneys available, but this was my own new born baby who needed what only I could give - my personal and undivided attention.
So, the adventure began. Publications from the Patent Office were obtained. They were numerous in number and extremely detailed in nature. They outlined the kind of information that was needed and the high quality color photos that would reveal how the variegated colors of the new plant differed from the solid green color of the mother plant.

I applied for and was granted the status of being a Friend Of The L.S.U. Library in Baton Rouge. Using their vast storehouse of valuable information, I was now ready to begin my adventure with a heartless government bureaucracy.

Correspondence with the Patent Office was very frequent. Before it was over, I had accumulated a two inch compressed stack of legal size forms and letters, all of which reflects the careful process an application must go through before a patent if granted. In the months that followed there were low moments filled with anxiety. But, thankfully, there were high moments that indicated progress was being made.

Then, it happened! I was granted Plant Patent Number 5,571 for a new and distinct variety of a plant with the botanical name of Senico Mikanioides (German Ivy). I had persevered and my new born baby had given me the prestige of owning a United States Plant Patent. The official patent folder was bound together with a purple ribbon while an impressive gold seal was placed in the lower left hand corner of the folder covering the end of the ribbon. I must say that it was beautiful to behold and it filled my heart with pride. Fate had dressed herself in new, expensive clothing and had smiled on me once again.

My next step was to give it some publicity. I traveled across the country to Seattle, Washington where the Society of American Florist was conducting their annual meeting. A part of their convention was devoted to introducing new varieties of plants and flowers. My German Ivy hanging basket was entered along with hundreds of other new introductions. Once again Fate smiled on me and my plant was awarded a third place ribbon. As I stood in the aisle, I glanced at the tag identifying my entry. It read: Golden Glow German Ivy. Plant Patent 5571.

Then, in an unexpected turn of events, Fate's smile turned into an ugly frown and I was left bewildered, baffled and utterly disappointed. While the American Florist Society convention continued, my wife Doris and I took a boat trip up the western coast of Canada to Vancouver where the Winter Olympics of 2010.

While there, we traveled by a double-decker bus to visit the beautiful hanging Gardens located east of the fascinating city of Vancouver.

When we returned to the convention site, to our dismay, we discovered that during our absence someone had moved my German Ivy basket and it was no where to be found. Other new varieties were still on display. The convention staff was informed and, after an investigation, the unhappy conclusion was reached that my plant had been stolen. Somewhere in the enchanting city of Seattle, an unscrupulous thief had conspired with Fate and I suffered a great loss.

The loss involved far more than the monetary value of the plant. This unique German Ivy was the only one of its kind in the world and my investment in it - time, labor, intellect, ingenuity and a belief in its artistic value - made it a part of me. When my plant was stolen, a part of me was stolen, a part that could not be recovered. Fate was now twisting and turning in an unimaginable fashion. Her smile was gone and in its place an ugly face. Her beautiful clothing was now tattered, torn and dirty. She was despicable and I despised her for what she had done to me.

But Fate also taught me a needed lesson I hope I will never forget. Just about the time some measure of success will tempt us to believe that we are in control, some unexpected event will cross our pathway and we are forced to face the realities of life. This is the time when we must reject the power of Fate and replace it with the power of Faith. The strength of Fate will always fade when we allow the strength of Faith to rule our lives.

I am, however, not through with the unpredictable antagonist I call Fate. Though life can often seem to be unfair, I still believe that Fate has not spoken her last word. So, I am patiently waiting for another smile, another gentle twist and another turn, because Fate now owes me another favor.