From One Red Door to Another

If you’re a renter, a college student or live in a college town, more than likely you noticed an influx of people this weekend. Yup, it was that time of year again, moving time. And this year more than any other year, I felt like part of the majority. Luckily I have a great new landlord. He let me and my roommate move in early. For those of you who have not had to move on the busiest move-in day of the year, this was a HUGE help. I was settled in before the Tufts students even packed their cars. Needless to say, I was able to enjoy the end of my Labor Day weekend while others were still laboriously lugging furniture and boxes.

It was during this arduous process that I noticed a fun, but interesting coincidence about my new and old apartments. Our first apartment was the bottom floor of a house. It was spacious for three people. We loved the character that it has, great hard wood floors and original doors. The only downside was the plaster walls. They made it very difficult to hang anything of substance on the walls. The new apartment is about a mile away from our cute little three bedroom. It is a two bedroom (got to LOVE downsizing!) in an apartment complex. It has a small balcony, not nearly as much character, but has good walls that can hold anything. The one thing that these two “homes” have in common is a red door…

Old diggs...

New diggs...

I know what you’re thinking. Who cares about the color of a door? It doesn’t matter; it’s something that you walk through, that keeps unwanted “guests” out. That is true. But let me explain... I love color. I feel like it's one of the best forms of self-expression. For those of you who follow color theory, red is a warm color associated with positivity, strength, and a will to survive. According to the website empower-yourself-with-color-psychology.com, the color red is “energizing…excites the emotions and motivates us to take action.” In other words, it is a strong color emitting confidence and a passion for life.

To me this means something. As a person who has officially been a college graduate for over a year and living on my own for almost a year, it makes me feel like I am on the right path. Let me back up. I don’t think it’s a coincidence, but a sign from God that I am doing the right things for me at this moment. I may be young and living a hectic life, but for right now, I think this is the path that I am supposed to be on. I am making the right choices passionately, whole-heartedly. I am trying to figure out who I am, why I am here, my purpose in life, all the while motivated to live every second of life, good and bad. And as stupid as it sounds (at least I have the confidence to admit it) the color of my door gives me hope, strength. I am still chugging, still pushing through, thriving. I am still here, living, wanting, needing, learning, growing. And for now, that’s all I need. Be young, but mature. Love with your whole heart. Take risks, open up with the energy and determination that others around me have shown their entire life. Laugh with every ounce of your being. Live with the warmth that you would want from others. And above all embody the color red.