I wrote about this a little while back. I've never been real good with house plants, but have managed to keep a beautiful arrangement I received four months ago. It does feel like a metaphor, just tending to the thing.
The only plant I've managed to never kill is pothos. If you look for a picture on the internet, you'll definitely recognize it. What's neat about it is that you can start new ones by pinching off leaves and just sticking them in the soil.