I bought a new watch last night. The merchant offered a 30 percent discount on the purchase of any pink watch, because October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Because I haven't been able to locate my watch since my recuperation from knee surgery in March and April, I needed a new one.
And sale or no sale, I would have chosen a pink one anyway.
Because of breast cancer awareness?
Not really, although that's a worthy goal.
Pink is my signature color.
It's a color that, until recently, I never wore.
Although I've never been color-draped (that was all the rage in the 1980s and 1990s), I know I'm a classic Autumn -- reddish hair, pale skin, brown eyes. That's why I've always tended toward wearing earth tones and jewel tones, colors like rust, russet, teal, amethyst, ruby and, oddly enough, the green shades of emerald or peridot (olive).
My mother was the rare lucky one -- a true Spring. Any color looked good on her, but she really shone in various shades of pink, which I tended to avoid.
And then, my knee gave out.
I couldn't walk. At first, I didn't know if I'd ever walk again.
With time and physical therapy, some of my mobility was restored, though I never again took for granted the good days, when I could move without pain, without needing to rest, without needing crutches.
That's when my life turned pink.
Pink, you see, has had liturgical significance for generations of Christians, although I doubt many modern Christians know that.
Pink is the liturgical color for joy.
That's why the third Advent candle is pink. It's the joy candle.
And what is joy?
It's not the absence of pain. It's the presence of God.
It's not the absence of sorrow and the omnipresence of giddy, mindless ecstasy. It's knowing that you're not alone, that there is healing, and that healing comes not only directly from the Divine, but also from the people whom God sends.
And even if the affliction ends in death, as afflictions eventually do, there is still the joy of God's presence and God's love.
That is why so many of my swimsuits have been pink, including one of my current swimsuits, whose shade was described by the manufacturer as "Nordic pink."
This is why, today, I wear pink shirts over the electrodes that are monitoring my heartbeat for 48 hours, to help a cardiologist figure out what's going on with my irregular heartbeat.
Now, breast cancer awareness is important. Although I would argue that research into the causes and treatments is far more vital, I'll do my bit for my sisters everywhere, and remind them: Check your breasts regularly, get an annual mammogram and go to a doctor immediately if you see something amiss -- and make sure the doctor takes your concerns seriously. (Yes, I've known some docs who are dismissive when their female patients report breast abnormalities.)
I know heart disease kills far more women than breast cancer. But this isn't a contest, OK? Health-conscious women should be aware of all diseases, and of what we know now about improving our chances of preventing them, or living with them.
But breast cancer awareness isn't why I wear pink.
Nor is it why I chose this watch.
I do like the pink band. I also like the large face, the precise secondhand and the military time notations. It's a good watch for work, and for monitoring my heartbeat.
Most of all, it's a reminder of joy.
Because I haven't been able to locate my watch since my recuperation from knee surgery in March and April, I needed a new one.
And sale or no sale, I would have chosen a pink one anyway.
Because of breast cancer awareness?
Not really, although that's a worthy goal.
Pink is my signature color.
It's a color that, until recently, I never wore.
Although I've never been color-draped (that was all the rage in the 1980s and 1990s), I know I'm a classic Autumn -- reddish hair, pale skin, brown eyes. That's why I've always tended toward wearing earth tones and jewel tones, colors like rust, russet, teal, amethyst, ruby and, oddly enough, the green shades of emerald or peridot (olive).
My mother was the rare lucky one -- a true Spring. Any color looked good on her, but she really shone in various shades of pink, which I tended to avoid.
And then, my knee gave out.
I couldn't walk. At first, I didn't know if I'd ever walk again.
With time and physical therapy, some of my mobility was restored, though I never again took for granted the good days, when I could move without pain, without needing to rest, without needing crutches.
That's when my life turned pink.
Pink, you see, has had liturgical significance for generations of Christians, although I doubt many modern Christians know that.
Pink is the liturgical color for joy.
That's why the third Advent candle is pink. It's the joy candle.
And what is joy?
It's not the absence of pain. It's the presence of God.
It's not the absence of sorrow and the omnipresence of giddy, mindless ecstasy. It's knowing that you're not alone, that there is healing, and that healing comes not only directly from the Divine, but also from the people whom God sends.
And even if the affliction ends in death, as afflictions eventually do, there is still the joy of God's presence and God's love.
That is why so many of my swimsuits have been pink, including one of my current swimsuits, whose shade was described by the manufacturer as "Nordic pink."
This is why, today, I wear pink shirts over the electrodes that are monitoring my heartbeat for 48 hours, to help a cardiologist figure out what's going on with my irregular heartbeat.
Now, breast cancer awareness is important. Although I would argue that research into the causes and treatments is far more vital, I'll do my bit for my sisters everywhere, and remind them: Check your breasts regularly, get an annual mammogram and go to a doctor immediately if you see something amiss -- and make sure the doctor takes your concerns seriously. (Yes, I've known some docs who are dismissive when their female patients report breast abnormalities.)
I know heart disease kills far more women than breast cancer. But this isn't a contest, OK? Health-conscious women should be aware of all diseases, and of what we know now about improving our chances of preventing them, or living with them.
But breast cancer awareness isn't why I wear pink.
Nor is it why I chose this watch.
I do like the pink band. I also like the large face, the precise secondhand and the military time notations. It's a good watch for work, and for monitoring my heartbeat.
Most of all, it's a reminder of joy.
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