A few days ago my mom came home from the supermarket with a bag of croissants, pizzas, milk, lettuce and... a plant. The plant was a gift for me. It stands on my desk, all flowery and pretty and 100% my responsibility.
I immediately liked the plant and decided to name it. One name came to mind, but I couldn't use it. That name had already been used... And it didn't end well for that plant...

Not Rufus, but you get the idea Source

Five years ago my mom and I were in a flower shop. In the back of the store, far away from the windows and the curious eyes of most customers, I found a tray of teeny tiny Venus fly traps. I begged my mom to buy me one.
After a bit of arguing, my mom gave in. Delighted with this triumph, I chose the one with the most... ehm... 'mouths' I could find and took it home.

To be honest with you, this plant was doomed from the start. You see, my mom liked the idea of a plant in my room. Taking care of said plant for me was not going to happen though, she told me. This plant would be my responsibility and no one else's. So when I came home I gave the plant water, put it on a saucer and named it Rufus, Rufus the Carnivorous Plant for outsiders.

Rufus had a great life those first few weeks. I talked to him, even though it made me feel utterly ridiculous. I poked his mouths with my finger to see them snap shut. When it got warmer outside and the insects returned from wherever they go when it's cold, I spent hours catching flies and feeding them to Rufus. You can imagine how excited I was when Rufus began to grow new leaves ad mouths. It was a wonderful time.

Then things took a turn for the worse. The new leaves turned brown, the new mouths never opened and the old ones didn't snap shut anymore. Rufus was dying.
I turned to my mom for help. She needed exactly half a minute to come to a conclusion.
'Envy, when was the last time you watered this plant?'
I bit my lip in shame. I had been so busy feeding him flies that I forgot to give him what he needed most: water. Weeks had passed since I'd last given Rufus water.
In a desperate attempt to safe Rufus, I gave him water. Much water. Too much water. I almost drowned the poor plants in the days after I'd discovered what was wrong with him. Then once again I stopped watering. It was the end of Rufus the Carnivorous Plant.

So here I am today, staring at a beautiful flowery plant with the memory of Rufus still fresh in my mind. I can feel all this responsibility weighing down on me. I can't let this one dies too. But first, a name.

I think I'll name her Avy.
Hi Avy.
Nice to meet you. I hope we'll be friends for a long time!

Stay awesome!