I'm one of those people.
It took me a while to join the club. For a long time, I was afraid to dive into the realm of emojis because picking stuff out often takes me forever. I'm so perfectionistic and particular: I have to feel like I've chosen the exact right thing out of the whole list of options. It takes me WAY long enough just deciding on the right words to put into my post or comment, without having a seemingly endless array of little icons to choose from as well!! However, I found the basic emoticons that one can type out (e.g. :), ;), :D, ^_^, \o/, <3, :(, :'(, >:(, :P, D:, :O) a very useful means of communicating those very important wordless messages that would be transmitted via facial expressions or other body language in face-to-face interactions. Those became indispensable to me -- and once I got a smartphone, it wasn't a huge leap from using those to using the emoji versions thereof. All the faces I use are the basic yellow color, just varying in expression; but the hearts come in a rainbow of different colors, which of course presented me with a mini version of the oversized array of choices that I had originally dreaded. I use hearts all the time, and now, every time I want to pictorially share my love with someone, I have to decide what color it comes in!!!! What do I do?!
It DOES take me even longer now to write texts and Facebook messages or comments because of the array of color choices in the emoji heart department, which is unfortunate, like I said, given how long that stuff already takes me. However, I've found that there is a good side to the rainbow of hearts. It gives me the opportunity to get in touch with my intuitive and creative right brain -- to be more aware of my feelings and give vent to them through nonverbal, artistic expression, which is therapeutic!
Now when I want to share my love with someone via little heart icons and I have to decide which color(s) to use, I take a moment to turn off my active mind and simply feel what my heart is feeling at that point in time.
If I use a blue heart -- the color of a vast expanse of water reflecting the cloudless sky -- it means I'm feeling peaceful and serene.
If I use a green heart -- the color of the tiny seedling plants that come up through the cracks between the sidewalk slabs, and, if given free rein, would bit by bit take over the entire earth and cover all signs of this present demoniac "civilization" in a riot of wild, free, living and life-giving beauty -- it means I may (possibly) be feeling fragile and vulnerable at that moment, but I am (definitely) feeling hope for the future.
If I use a yellow heart -- the color of the noonday sun -- it means I am at the summit of radiant joy and gladness.
If I use a pink or purple heart -- colors often found in plenty only among some of nature's sweetest gifts, such as flowers and fruits -- it means my heart is especially filled with sweet emotions of affection and love for the other person. Pink reminds me more of spring and early summer -- almond and cherry trees covered with blossom, or pink roses (the flower whose name is the very word for pink in the Romance languages). To me, it carries with it an aura of fresh new beginnings; it has more eager, excited, youthful energy than purple. The first flush of dawn, announcing the arrival of the sun who comes to bring warmth to the world; blushing brides; and newborn babies are among the things the color pink calls to mind for me.
Purple, on the other hand, reminds me more of mid-to-late summer and early autumn. It is deep, full, mature, rich and ripe. It makes me think of fragrant fields full of spire-shaped flowers like lupines, salvia and butterfly bush, or the famous honey-scented heather that turns the moors purple. (And though irises are generally more of a spring flower, I've learned that there are some that bloom again in fall, and I can't resist including here some pictures of one such variety!!! :D) Sweet, juicy purple berries fruiting in the middle of summer and plump, mellow purple plums in late summer and early fall also come to mind. As to the time of day, the word "dusky" is used to mean dark or purplish, and dusk is when the day is complete (again, = full or mature), the burning sun has gone down and the soft, soothing gentleness of night is spreading over the land, and of course, if there are clouds in the sky they are often prone to taking on a purplish hue, so there you go. If I use a purple heart, it means that instead of (or in addition to) the enthusiastic affection of pink, my heart is full of deep love that is quiet but very meaningful.
If I use a black heart -- a color utterly devoid of light, and therefore of life and hope -- it means I am in a pit of misery and depression.
I must add here a disclaimer. Although I usually choose the color of heart that best reflects my mood at the time, that's not 100% guaranteed to happen. Sometimes I sense that if I use black hearts, the reader will feel it's a strange color choice and that something may be wrong. Sometimes I choose a different color that's less weird and alarming, that doesn't risk ruining the mood of others. Also, I remember once in particular when I selected black hearts, but after posting, they showed up as pink. I also vaguely recall the reverse happening at least once. Emojis don't always "translate" perfectly across platforms, so there's always the possibility that I might have chosen a different color and it just didn't show up that way once posted. Lastly, there are many occasions when I don't want to take the time to choose any particular color of heart, so I just type the "heart" symbol combination (<3), and it often gets automatically turned into a heart -- usually a pink/reddish one nowadays, though once upon a time a small black heart was the automatic kind, and it still might be in some places. So, please bear in mind that any of these factors could potentially be affecting the emoji hearts that show up in my posts. But generally, the colors of those tiny hearts do reflect the way my real heart is feeling. <3 <3 :)
My Darling Daughter, your post was a veritable delight to read. I always seem to have the same experience every time I read one of your posts--while reading, I am on the edge of my seat. I am eager to slurp up every word, and after reading each and every word, I am thoroughly satisfied and not at all disappointed. This time, though, I was a teeny bit disappointed that the post was not longer. But after realizing that there was no more to read, I thought about it for a moment, and realized that it truly felt complete.
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