The Flowers You Never Want to Give Your Significant Other

This woodland flower doesn’t necessarily have the most innocent of origins. To explain where it came from, we have to back up to the very beginning, to when a man named Narcissus was born. Shortly after his birth, his mother was told that he should live a very long life if he never saw himself. Man was that oracle right. He spent years rejecting men and women who wanted to become his suitors. He just plainly wasn't interested. 

Then, came one of the final rejections, Echo, who would then lead him to find his true love. Echo could only repeat the words of the person who spoke, so when Narcissus called out to her in the woods, one could see why it would be a little frustrating when he asked her to come and meet him, she said the same. She also didn’t approach him in the best of ways. She jumped on him in surprise and wrapped her arms around his neck. A startled response to this action is almost deserved. He claimed he would never be with her and ran off into the woods where he stumbled upon the most beautiful silverfaced pond, untouched by everything and everyone. He stared into this pond and saw the most beautiful person he has ever seen, himself. However, at this point of love at first sight he didn’t seem to know who he was looking at. He thought it was someone who lived in this perfect pond and proceeded to try and get him out. Cut him some slack on this, in his universe, much stranger things have happened. The leader of his world grabs a hold of lightning and throws it at people. So living in a pond doesn’t seem so strange when he has that frame of reference.

However, eventually he saw through this charade and realized that he was, indeed, in love with himself. He was extremely distraught about this and did everything in his power not to be (he has a good heart after all…if only that were true). It was for the pure selfish reason that he couldn’t manage to get his own body out of the water so they could live a long happy life together. Thus, the final rejection. The grief, yes, greif, of the situation wasted his energy and he eventually died right next to the pond, never glancing away from the water dwelling version of himself. When Echo, who was still in the woods, but no longer had a body because grief wasted it away (still stanger than a person living in a pond), went over to see him, Narcissus was gone. Although, one thing remained. In the spot where he died, a flower with white petals and a yellow center sprouted to take his place. Some say this symbolized new beginnings, but in reality, Narcissus’ life was destined for failed companionship. So stick to roses.