Your favorite color?

A good friend of mine loves pink. To say it is her favorite color is an understatement. She almost always wears pink. If she has a choice of colors for anything, guess what — it is pink! She even has an annual Pink Party to celebrate her birthday. We all join in by putting on our best pink. Some of us had never worn pink before and have embraced what is a new color for many of us.

She recently shared why pink means so much to her.

"For some, pink is simply a beautiful color. For me, it represents something much deeper. It represents peace after chaos, hope after grief, love after loss, and joy after seasons of carrying more than I ever thought possible."

She is quick to tell her friends how important pink is to her. For someone else, it may be another color, but what matters is what the color pink has come to represent in her life.

It turns out that favorite colors are shaped by a unique combination of biology, psychology, culture, and personal experience. So what do our choices say about us?

Many people choose blue. It is a calming color that reminds us of the sky and water. Red suggests passion, excitement, confidence, and power. Green brings to mind nature, growth, and renewal. Yellow often represents optimism and happiness, while purple has long been associated with creativity and imagination.

Favorite colors can even be influenced by the teams we cheer for. Just ask a local sports fan about orange and blue, red and black, or in North Florida — teal.

Our personalities may also influence our color choices, although not always in obvious ways. It is not unusual for someone to wear mostly black clothing, decorate a bedroom in shades of blue, drive a silver car, yet surround themselves with bright colors in artwork or flowers. Our favorite color is not always the one we choose for different parts of our lives.

The idea of identifying your "season" has been around for decades. The movement began with Carole Jackson and her bestselling 1980 book, "Color Me Beautiful." Her concept was simple: people look their best in colors that reflect one of the four seasons. The trick is to find your season.

Spring — warm, fresh, light colors
Summer — soft, cool, muted colors
Autumn — rich, warm, earthy colors
Winter — clear, cool, high-contrast colors

Today, professional color analysts offer in-person consultations. Or you can turn to today's newest color consultant — AI. Upload a photograph, and within seconds, it will analyze your complexion and hair color and suggest the most flattering colors.

It turns out I am a "Soft Summer" and should consider dusty blues, soft rose, lavender, sage, and muted teal. All colors I rarely wear! My immediate answer when someone asks my favorite color has always been red. To me, red is an action color. A strong color. A statement color. Yet if you looked in my closet, you would probably find far more autumn shades than bright reds.

As my friend's Pink Party approaches, her friends are already planning how to add a little more pink to their wardrobes. She has inspired us with her love of pink, but also with her love of life and her devotion to family and friends.

Our favorite colors are not just about what looks good on us. Sometimes they tell the story of who we are, what we have survived, and what brings us hope.