If you asked the people closest to me what my favorite color is, they would answer pink without needing a second to think.

There is no simple explanation for this personality choice of mine. Pink is a color with many personalities and many embodiments, and besides the shade it provides to the world, it serves many purposes to me. 

After one examines the fictional character Barbie, it comes as no surprise that the color pink is a crucial aspect of her identity. Growing up, my comfort show was “Barbie: Life in the Dreamhouse” because I saw Barbie taking on various occupations and still making room for pink in all of them. She flew a pink plane as a pilot and wore a pink astronaut suit in space — who says she can’t do it all?

Both the doll and color have long been symbols of femininity and softness. Barbie is marketed as a capable woman of many talents, and the color has helped push this vision onto young girls such as myself. The more I watched the show on Netflix, the more I realized that the people who say “pink is for girls” did not fully understand her mission and what she stood for. These groups did have the pleasure of seeing one of the most talented characters in cartoon history practically waving that color as her flag to empower girls and young women.

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines synesthesia as “a concomitant sensation.” Some examples most commonly seen of this in humans are Grapheme color synesthesia, the association of numbers or letters to a color, or mirror touch synesthesia, where seeing a person hug someone else may give you the feeling that you are the one being hugged. 

I find myself experiencing synesthesia-like symptoms with pink. The color brings me joy in its shade, sadness when I remember that my favorite show is no longer on Netflix and hope for future children who will look at the color and feel empowered instead of belittled for choosing a “girly” color.

Pink was the color I chose when buying my umbrella, engineering calculator, ruler, pencil case and other small yet important objects. Pink is the color I wear and immediately feel confident in, like Barbie. Pink will continue being the color I seek out whenever I buy phone cases. It is more than a color; it is a lifestyle.

It is also the best color out there.