Colors have long been studied for their emotional and communicative value. Psychologists, artists, and mass communicators are all the more aware of the power of one color against another.

Yet, with all of these color theories cast aside, I would like to announce the return of lavender in my life.

What does this mean, precisely?

I associate different periods of my life with different colors. In my childhood, the colors were deep purple and jungle green. Since adolescence, the colors have been lavender, baby blue, and pink.

Assuredly, the colors were essentially my favorite colors at those periods. However, as we all know color has meaning, what meaning do these pastels suggest? And why were the colors of my childhood more saturated than the colors of the last 10 years?

Children are vibrant and uninhibited. I attribute the saturation of my childhood’s colors to this. However, where did the saturation go?

The muting of the saturation is something I believe to be representative of calming down with age. The vibrancy of the soul exists, but is more reflective. This feels to be most indicative in lavender.

Baby blue, on the other hand, was a repulsion from the boring and a clinging to an idealism of fantasy and wonder. It was the age of puppy love and gave birth to a hopeless romantic. It felt alive in turmoil. Blue was the lover.

Pink, on the other hand, was a yearning for peace and expected beauty in simplicity. The era gave birth to expectations and obligations. It was the peace maker, even at its own expense. Pink was the fighter.

Lavender, on the other hand, has always been the reflective one, the free-spirited one.? No less the romantic, yet no less the realist, lavender gave birth to a voice and a burning desire to follow oneself.? Lavender is the philosopher.

And so, with much amusement at how 3 pastels comprising a very harmonious palette could produce such contrasting yet complimentary places in life, I am content to announce the return of lavender.