When I was a little girl, this old chestnut was one of my favorite riddles... "What's black and white and read all over?"
"A newspaper!"
That riddle is outdated in more than one way these days. Newspapers are definitely not "read all over" like they were in the 1960's.
But that's food for another post.
Today, I'm talking about red literally, as in the color red. In an effort to brighten the grey winter landscapr and lift my downtrodden spirits, I've proclaimed February my personal red month. That's right. I'm wearing red everyday this month, even if it's only my red-banded wristwatch.
It all started the other day, when I wore a red sweater in honor of National Wear Red Day, an event sponsored by the American Heart Association to raise awareness about women's heart health. Many of you probably know this statistic, but it bears repeating...more women die from heart disease than from any other disease, including breast cancer. It also bears repeating that heart attacks don't present the same symptoms in women as they do in men and thus are often overlooked when women go in for treatment, even into the emergency room. If you haven't educated yourself about heart disease in women, this is the month you can read about it all over...
My literal heart is just fine, but this winter my emotional heart has been hurting. I been hit hard with SAD (seasonal affective disorder). This is one of the coldest, grayest, snowiest winters I can remember, and it's been terribly emotionally draining. Nothing makes me happy these days. I feel bone tired, listless. I have difficulty concentrating, and a persistent dull headache.
But the other day, wearing that red sweater, along with my red wristwatch and some red earrings, I felt my mood lift just a little. After all, red is the color associated with energy and excitement. In our culture, it bears connotations of love and desire. For the Chinese, red symbolizes luck and is the color of celebration. In chromotherapy (using color as a healing power), red was used to stimulate the body and mind and increase circulation.
I could use a nice big dose of all those things.
I even bought myself a cute red wool jacket, with a coordinating scarf and red fuzzy gloves. (You would not believe the sale I found, either...) Now I'm on the lookout for a red purse to complete the ensemble.
I'm talking red to the limit here, folks.
I really am RED all over.
How about you? Is there a particular color that lifts your spirits and brightens your mood?