The Forget Me Not

Blue. The rarest color in flora. Reserved for the most breathtaking, most elegant, most distinct, the color blue in flora is a trait of only the worthiest of flowers. Only the creme dela creme are worthy enough to possess such a blessing: Blue hydrangea, symbols of regret; Periwinkles, symbols of faith; Bluebells, symbols of humility; etc. All of these flowers are magnificent in their own way, no wonder they're worthy enough of possessing such a rare color, yet there’s one flower that stands out for all of the wrong reasons: the Forget Me Not. The Forget Me Not is a tragic excuse for a flower. They’re small, melodramatic, and overall lackluster. To say that this flower isn’t worthy of the blue color is simply just fact.

Fortunately, its mythology isn’t as bland as its vanity. The Forget Me Not’s mythology tells the story of ephemeral love, love that is destined to extinguish. It tells of a woman who tragically longed for something in her life. She didn't know what for, but she knew that she was in desperate need. One day when a little speck of blue across the river caught her eye, she realized it was a flower! She quickly rushed to her husband and asked him to retrieve the little blue flower. Her husband obliged and faced the current that was raging in the river. The man successfully retrieved the tiny flower and  handed his wife a bouquet of the tiny flowers. Blinded by pride, he lost his balance and was dragged by the river, never seeing the light of day ever again. Before he died, he managed to let out a few words to his poor soon to be widow: 

“Move on from me you may, but forget me you may not.”

The Forget Me Not represents the steadfast love the husband had for his wife. Praised for outclassing other flowers of its kind, the Forget Me Not is not underwhelming, but they are determined. They can literally grow anywhere and in any condition. They may not be the mightiest flower out there, but they manage to surprise skeptics like me. While admittedly short lived, his love remained determined to bring joy to his wife. It gave him the courage to face the river head on.  

I realized how much alike the Forget Me Not and I are. I may not be the most flashy, the most impressive, or academically unique student, but I’m just as persistent as the Forget Me Not. I do have the courage to reach for the stars. I am much more than what my academic achievements paint me out to be. I may not have a dozen internships under my belt, I may not have a perfect SAT score, and I may not have the best GPA out there, but I am persistent. I know when I’m over reaching for something and I own it. At the end of the day, I am much more than what a  piece of paper says I am. I may seem small, melodramatic, and lackluster, but I’m capable of flourishing and garnering admiration for being uniquely me under the right circumstances. Just like the Forget Me Not, I can thrive with little resources. I know that there are other people who seem to outclass my accomplishments. I’m not writing about other people, I’m writing about me. 

While other candidates can offer flashy apprenticeships on Venus or something along those lines, I can offer my persistence on planet Earth. Just like the Forget Me Not doesn’t let its petite structure diminish its accomplishment of wearing the color blue, I don’t let the fact that there will always be someone else with a much more appealing resume than me diminish my own accomplishments. Flora are only as beautiful and unique as their least appealing flower, so all I ask is that my worth as a seedling be determined based on factors other than the great lengths people go to in hopes of establishing a sense of individuality or uniqueness, because I know that I am those things. I know that, just like the Forget Me Not, I am underestimated, but resilient and one-of-a-kind nonetheless. It’s just a matter of whether or not you’re willing to see it. 

Ignore my accomplishments you may, but diminish them you will not.