The misunderstanding is that you read my post as attributing deep feelings to plants. I said they have a level of consciousness. I said they have goals and struggles, as all life does.
I intentionally kept the post brief, but I'll clarify just a bit further.
Plants are conscious, that is, aware, of where the things they need are, such as sun and nutrients, and conscious of things that would do them harm. These are no less chemical reactions than those humans experience with brains, nervous systems, glands and hormones, etc, simply at a lower level. Did you know some plant species actually battle each other for territories? This is a level of consciousness. This is competition. Some plants developed defenses so they would not be eaten. This is a response to violence against their lives.
All life has goals and struggles, including but not limited to surviving and thriving. Beneath all this is my thesis of the post that life is competitive and violent. The only deep feeling about that is mine, which I used the post to express in the form of a rant.
Hope that clears up the misunderstanding. It sucks that your plants will end up in less capable and caring hands. The photo wasn't clear so I couldn't see its condition, but I can imagine it thrives because of the care you give it.