The Color Yellow
The Dandelion Bloom
After last night’s magnificent thunderstorm, and the earth being doused with nitrogen infused rain, I happily envision hundreds, and maybe even thousands, of bright, beautiful yellow flowered dandelions popping up from the earth, and joyfully announcing spring’s arrival here in southeast Michigan and northwest Ohio.
While most folks cringe at the dreaded thought of dandelions springing up in their beautifully kept and manicured yards, in my world “the dandelion bloom” signifies the beginning of the “nectar flow,” and an abundance of much needed food for my sweet little honey bees, after they have survived the long hard winter.
There are those who immediately rush out to find their quick-draw weed-killer long-range spray bottle, keeping it permanently attached to their belt throughout the season, along with their shovel standing ready and at attention, to deploy immediate dandelion death, destruction, and extraction. I, on the other hand, am very happy to see a field full of yellow dandelion blooms waving in the breeze, despite what everyone else might think!
Yellow Makes Me Happy!
Yellow has always been one of my favorite colors. It just makes me happy! Is it because of the bright ball of warmth from life-giving yellow sunshine on sunny days? Is it the beautiful yellow spring daffodils and tulips, the yellow pollen on budding trees, or big, bold yellow sunflowers in the summer? What about yellow baby chicks, or the bright yellow of an egg yolk?
Could it be the crisp clean taste of a yellow lemon, a delicious ripe yellow banana, and yellow smiley faces that you receive on a text or an email? Aren’t yellow painted houses the most cozy, warm, and inviting of all? Hey…maybe it is the iconic yellow arches of McDonalds, which even look good to me now, after this ordeal of “sheltering in place.”
The Meaning of Yellow
Our peripheral vision is 2.5 times higher for yellow than red, as yellow is the most luminous and visible color in the spectrum. Yellow is the only color that reacts badly to black: Add a little black and it becomes a sickly gross yellow green.
Yellow boosts spirits, is absolutely invigorating, gives us optimism, stimulates our nerves, glands, and brain, making us more alert and energized, while promoting activity and interaction. (Even if your focus and activity is strictly on killing dandelions!) It is the color that captures our attention more than any other color, and whether it is neon or pastel, yellow can go with almost anything.
Yellow = Spring
Thank heavens for the color of yellow—the harbinger of spring! Thank heavens for what it represents—growth, birth, renewal, warmth, enlightenment, hope, happiness, joy, and optimism for the future! Thank heavens for the thousands of dandelions that are ready to bloom in my expanse of a yard. Thank heavens spring has finally sprung!
My challenge to you whenever you bend down to take out those dandelion invaders peeking up in your lawn, is to remember the significance of the color of yellow—not only during this season of spring, but the bright part it plays in maintaining an overall healthy well-being.
Happy Spring!
Katrina Cheema