Cherry red is the color of ladybugs.
Every spring, they swarm my windows. Dozens of ladybugs adorn my windowsill. I don’t know where they come from or how they get inside, but without fail, they arrive. They glow brightly against the white window sills and sky-blue walls. They are the image of my springs.
Cherry red is the color of my new shoes.
It’s the color of the season this year, so near the top of my birthday list the shoes sat. And soon after, my brother bought them for me. They brighten my outfits with their cherry red base and carnation pink stripes. They crunch over the orange-red leaves on the way to my car. They are the embodiment of my latest fall.
Cherry red may be the color of the season, but it’s been the color of many of my others and has found its way into being a color of my life.
It’s no secret that I have an affinity for red. I find an excuse to paint my nails in a glittery red no matter the season or occasion. It’s my favorite accent color.
Cherry red is the color of my quarter-zip that keeps me warm in the winter. It’s my go-to travel outfit for my everlasting road trips to Colorado. I wore it as I ate strawberry shortcake from Denver Biscuit Company for the 10-millionth time. I matched the strawberry glaze (and my nails). At least I didn’t have to worry about staining anything as I laughed at my friend.
My souvenir hoodie from Copper Mountain is white with a cherry red graphic. I don’t wear it often, but it reminds me of my first Thanksgiving out west, one that I am lucky enough to relive this year. It was the trip where I got paired up in a room with six girls I didn’t know but can’t imagine the week without. What started as a group of mostly strangers in an overfilled room evolved into a group of girls hoping to room together again. I’ve been counting down the days since September until I get to see my former roommates again.
My cherry-red adorned hoodie makes me hopeful. It makes me excited for candles in birthday ice cream and a “Friendsgiving” of macaroni and cheese since we didn’t like the camp food. It reminds me of the flavors of piña colada smoothies and donuts from Sugar Lips. It makes me not want to live in the present.
While cherry red has been ever-present in my life through small ladybugs, it’s been integral to my memories in the past year. My past colors of my life have been bigger in my life, but I can see cherry red’s importance growing into my future.
