rubber plants

i have a rubber plant at work. it’s leaves are sleek and glossy and their color is marriage of green and burgundy. lately the leaves have been falling off at a disturbing rate. i’ll grant that i lack in some areas of care giving, but it never wants for water and it seems happy on our weekly walks. so i wonder if this is a metaphor for life, that the prettiest things fade the fastest, or a warning about my ability as a caregiver. only the future blessed with either premature wrinkles or children that are falling apart will tell.