Too Purply?

To be honest, I was debating about today’s post topic. Part of me wants to write about last weekend when my MOST FAVORITE NEPHEW IN THE WHOLE ENTIRE WORLD got married. Alas, I’ve decided to delay that until I have a wedding picture to include. So, the other topic in my head is Purple.

Now most people probably couldn’t write an entire post about purple, but let’s face it…I’m not most people.

This past weekend when Connor & Sarah were married, I altered from my usual wedding attire (one of my many purple or partly purple dresses) to wear black and white to compliment their color choice. However, I did wear a little purple. It was on my Color Street Nail Polish. Just a bit of purple glitter as to not steal the attention, but…enough to make my outfit more me.

Speaking of wearing purple, I have a lavender shirt on right now. Wearing purple always reminds me of that poem about wearing purple when I’m old. Well, I’ve worn purple for decades even before I became old. However, I just looked up the actual poem, and I found that the first sentence and the last stanza are the only parts of that poem that match “me”, so I’ll refrain from buying a copy. However, you may want to check it out.

Purple seems like it’s becoming a synonym for Ms. Pflaumer. From presents to pictures, my students shower me with purple throughout the year. I’ve had various friends just pick up small tokens for me when they see something purple. My neighbor teacher happened upon a small lavender Christmas tree in her parent’s attic, and she & her kiddos delivered it to my classroom. It’s decorated Room 404 for Decembers ever since. To be honest, if I’m shopping for clothes or whatever, my eyes always find the purple first. That’s how I have had over six sets of purple sheets and over six purple purses at one time or another. It’s just….me.

Of course, there’s that purple kitchen and purple house that circulate every-so-often on social media. It never fails that I’m tagged in those pictures by someone or by multiple someones each year. That may be the only time I say something is “too purple.” I usually comment that I love purple, but…sometimes it’s better as an accent. Hmm, it’s been a couple years since I’ve been tagged in those pics, so maybe their popularity has faded.

A friend commented once that a lot of people have favorite colors, but it seems that people who like purple are more “over-the-top” with it. I accept that. I mean, it’s probably in a range of obsession from a little to a lot. I admit that I’m more on the mega side because when I pick up my tshirt purchase in a bit, I think I’m going to order another one…in a shade of purple….cause…well, it’s just me.

But why?

I don’t know why others like purple, but I know why I do. It all started back during the second semester of my freshman year of college. In our Comp 101 class, we had to write an essay about family traditions tied to a holiday. I wrote mine about Christmas and our tree topper. Even though at the time we put a teddy bear on the top of our tree (I collected teddy bears and as the baby of the family…that was enough to put a bear on top even though I was a teenager and nearly an adult), I explained how I would put an angel or star on my own tree. Confession….my first angel was wearing a purple velvet robe. Anyway, my friend Kelly came into my room and said she was going to write about Easter. However, her family only went to church two Sundays a year, so she wanted to know what my family did for Easter.

Well, the two of us sat down on my bed (because our rooms were tiny and that was the only place to sit), and I pulled out my Bible. We started with Palm Sunday, went to Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and we ended up on Easter Sunday. As I shared about the various church services I attended, the verses about the mocking of Jesus stood out. In a world where people are cruel, it reminded me that Jesus faced it too. He faced it. He was beaten. He was crucified. But….

He lived. He lives. That is when the purple seed was planted. Before that day, pink was “the color”. My mom even painted mine & my sister’s bedroom a shade of pink because of it. But, pink was kicked to the curb and replaced by purple – the new king….as it represented the King who saved me, loves me, accepts me, and has plan for my life. That! That is why PURPLE isn’t just my favorite color, but…it’s as if it’s a part of who I’ve become. I know that sounds weird, but…it’s my conversation starter.

Why? When you don’t have a favorite color but you have a FAVORITE color, people inquire. They ask if it’s still your color, and at some point….they ask WHY?

When that three letter word it uttered, I tell them the same story I told Kelly. I let them know that my favorite color reminds me of the One in whom I have faith. Do you know Him? If not, let me introduce you….

So, things may be a little too purply for some people, but for this old lady…I’ve been wearing and buying and receiving purple since I was 18. In case you think I’m exaggerating about my purple……here’s my evidence.