You’ve heard of choosing a word-of-the-year. Popular ones might be abundance, joy, or simplicity. If you’ve ever tried it, you know how difficult it can be just to decide which word to choose. I was thinking all this last January and feeling like the decision was too heavy. On impulse, I said maybe I’d just have purple be my word of the year.
It’s been so much fun!
Simply by choosing it, my eye seeks it out. Early in January I bought a bale of hay for my chickens. When I picked up the twine to throw it away, I noticed it’s color – lavender! Never seen that color of twine before or after.
In the Mundane…
Purple seemed to show up everywhere:
- purple bullet journal
- pens, highlighters and super tip markers in all shades of purple
- purple flowered washi tape
- mechanical pencil I used most often
- ombre purple scarf on my dresser
- I favored the purple straw for my cold drinks
- and somehow lost the purple hair tie
My daughter, who is very good at giving gifts, came home one day with a purple yoga mat for me. She thought I’d like the color.
I got two purple lilac bushes for Mother’s day – again at the inspiration of my daughter.
I made a new dress, choosing the lavender shade on purpose. And because it reminded me of my sister.
We all dug a lot of thistles from our pasture. Trying to get them before the tops turned purple. All of this was giving life a little interesting twist.
Or the Momentous
I wasn’t so keen on adding trucking back into our life. Then my husband drove into the shop with a new-to-us transfer truck. It was the first time I saw it and what could I say! The fenders were purple. This was a bit momentous, and it’s been a good thing.
Even God was noticing my problems and coming through in ways I couldn’t have imagined!
When you put love and attention into something, it will blossom and grow.
Purple Scents the Air
I already mentioned lilacs. That was an investment in purple for another year. As the spring and summer progressed I have enjoyed many purple flowers – violets, iris, pansies, lavender, potato blossoms, Russian sage, chives and something I’ve had growing in my herb garden for years and has a purple spike. It smells like black licorice. But I can’t remember the name. Joe Pye Weed? Hyssop?
I could’ve planted eggplant or purple string beans, or strange-looking purple cauliflower. But I planted Purple Viking potatoes that are advertised to top the Yukon Gold in taste. I made Mexican Potatoes with them the other night. I left off the optional ingredients only because they weren’t available at the moment in my kitchen. But they were delicious anyway.
She is clothed with fine linen and purple.
Proverbs 31:22
What I Have Learned So Far
In ancient times, purple was made from the mucus of tiny snails from the Mediterranean Sea. A pound of purple wool cost more than a year’s salary. Today purple dye is made from cochineal insects (a parasitic scale insect native to North and South America. ). The dye starts out as a red color that turns purple by increasing the Ph level.
Because of the cost of dye in olden days, purple became the symbol of royalty. Purple was one of the colors of the hangings of the tabernacle that the Israelites used in the dessert. The other colors were red, blue and gold. Jesus was said to be mocked with a scarlet purple robe and a crown of thorns. One Bible commentator said this robe maybe started out as purple, but had faded. It is unlikely Pilate let them use a new robe.
Purple combines the stability of blue with the energy of red. Purple is said to calm and stimulate, and so fosters creativity and imagination. Because of it’s mysterious and royal undertones, purple is a dignified color, too.
Too much purple can bring about irritability and moodiness, so beware!
But I am Missing This
Yesterday, thinking about this, I realized I was missing something! I hadn’t read any books with any variation of the word purple in the title. The Five Love Languages has a purple cover and I read that in March. Years ago I read Riders of the Purple Sage. I would like to think I’ve read Under the Lilacs, but have no recall of what it’s about. I have read the poem When I am Old, I Shall Wear Purple. It seems like I asked google, way back in January, but then I forgot about it.
Do you have a ‘purple’ recommendation? Any shade works. You will make my year complete!
-Liz
P. S. If a word like purple can make a difference, any word you choose to focus on can make a difference that really matters. Choose a word for fall and try it out. Or maybe a color.
P. S. again. Just noticed! The mug I have been drinking green tea out of all year is also purple.
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So She Reads 
27 responses to “Harness the Power of a Single Word”
What a great idea, choosing a color for a word of the year. Interestingly enough, in my family we jokingly mention purple flowers if a topic of conversation is becoming to controversial and needs to be changed. 💜
I love it! Suddenly the conversation turns to pansies!
You could try out a color for fall. 😉
Thanks for sharing the idea: a color to look for throughout the year! I think the Lord enjoys surprising us with these little things..if only I am watching for it😉
Yes, I agree, although it surprises me at the time. This week in Costco I saw a purple tie dye dress, a bright purple shirt and purple hair, not on the same person! And it all made me smile.
I can’t think of anything to add. You’ve covered it all so beautifully! So clever and thought provoking! Thanks!
Thanks for reading, Cindy!
Lavender and Old Lace, Myrtle Reed
Hi Renita. Thank you for that book suggestion. I will check it out.🥰
Your posts are always interesting, but this one is absolutely delightful!
Hats off to you for sharing your inspirations.
Thank you,
Anne Boehs
P.S. The ones on home and family are faves.
P.P.S. The ones on school and teaching are also favorites.
(Guess there aren’t any I dislike…☺️)
Thank you, Anne, for your kind words!
Try Lavender and Old Lace by Myrtle Reed😊 I don’t even know anymore if it’s a good read, it’s been so long…
Merilee, thanks for that book title. Maybe I can write about it after I read it!
Oops I see someone else already suggested it!!
That’s fine. If two people suggest it, just more likely I will like it.
You can borrow mine! It’s in my stash of never-been-read old books! Enjoyed the post ☺️
Amanda, I would love to borrow yours. I was hoping to find a paper copy! Thank you. 💜
Oh, this was a fun read. The year before last I chose a WOTY and a color! I found the color decision (‘decide once’, who says that? Gretchen Rubin?) to be super helpful. Can’t decide what color of kitchen dishcloths when confronted with 20 colors? Sky blue of course. Someone wants to sell a 13×9. It’s sky blue. So, yes. Should I, or should I not purchase that item I see when thrifting? can’t decide. Is it sky blue? Ok, fine. Destiny has ordained I leave it at the shop.
And I sewed myself a sky blue dress in celebration of the year.
I’ve found a kindred spirit! You could call that your signature color. Thanks for your story. I loved it!
I read this while I was doing school sewing for my girls. I looked down and realized I was using purple thread and it was a total and complete mismatch for the fabric. Oh well!!
You got that from Grandma- she seldom matched thread to fabric!
Harold and the purple crayon! Really fun childrens book. Love your posts.💜
Thanks! I don’t think I’ve read that one (yet).
Also love purple though I’m very picky on which shade of it. My wedding color
One of my wedding colors, too. 😊 I’m a bit picky about the shade also.
This was a fun read! Try Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. I love to read about different cultures and her books about Nigeria are fascinating.
Thank you, apeaster! I will check out Purple Hisbiscus. An armchair visit to Nigeria would be just the ticket this fall.
Dear readers, I finished Lavender and Old Lace last night. It is written by Myrtle Reed and published in 1902. I expected to like this book, but it wasn’t a favorite. Some events seemed really random, but maybe they were too subtle for me to catch. On doctor’s orders, Ruth Thorne goes to the country to rest. She befriends an old lady who wears only lavender in scent and color of dress. Ruth learns Miss Ainsley, the lavender lady, has been waiting for years for her lover to return from sea, and her house is filled with global treasures sent to her ‘from someone who loves her very much.’ A young man also comes to the nearby village to rest his eyes from overwork at the newspaper. The reader will guess (before the characters do) that this young man is the lavender lady’s lost lover’s child. My complaints is the lavender lady could have lived a useful life of service and maybe found another love, but she only stayed at home and waited. There were two other love stories told in the plot – Ruth’s aunt and the hired girl, beside Ruth’s own love story. Definitely a lot of contrasts in how things turned out. Maybe that was the theme – whether you go far, or wait, or accept the love near at hand- love is fickle and fleeting. But that’s why I didn’t like it. If you read it, drop a line here and tell me what you think.