Date: April 29, 2025

Author: Danielle Foster

Purple isn’t my favorite color. There. I said it.
But at this point, it kind of doesn’t matter anymore—I’m too far in.

It all started years ago when someone very close to me gifted me a handmade blanket. It was soft, perfectly stitched, warm, and just the kind of thing you know someone poured real time and love into. I loved everything about it… except the color. It was this deep, rich purple—bold and loud in a way that never really matched me. But they gave it to me with the biggest smile, telling me they chose purple because they knew it was my favorite color.

Except it wasn’t.

But how do you correct someone mid-hug while they’re glowing with pride over something they made just for you? You don’t. At least, I didn’t. I just smiled and said, “Thank you, I love it,” and kept my mouth shut.

That one moment snowballed into a lifetime of fake purple enthusiasm.

From then on, I had to keep the lie alive. It felt wrong to correct it after that point—it would’ve felt like undoing all the kindness wrapped up in that first gift. So I committed. I nodded every time someone said, “I saw this and thought of you—it’s purple!” I accepted purple mugs, notebooks, jewelry, candles, phone cases, socks, sweaters, you name it. I once got a whole lavender-themed birthday basket. My closet is starting to look like a grape exploded in it.

The irony is, I don’t hate purple. I just don’t love it. It’s never been me. I’m more of a forest green or a deep navy type. But now, everyone associates me with this color I never even picked. I’ve painted myself into a violet corner.

Every once in a while, I think about coming clean. Telling my friends and family the truth: “Hey, small confession—purple was never really my thing.” But I think about that blanket again. I still have it. I still use it. I still love it. And I still don’t have the heart to say anything.

So I’ll keep playing the part. I’ll smile and say, “Aw, I love purple!” when someone hands me another amethyst-colored whatever. I’ll keep being the “purple girl” in everyone’s eyes. Maybe one day I’ll tell the truth. Or maybe, eventually, I’ll convince myself I actually do love it.

Until then, I’m just living a very violet lie.