If you are part of a sister duo, then surely you’re familiar with the idea of purple and pink sisters. Perhaps your toothbrushes were either color, the shoes you wore were either color, or when your parents got you two gifts, they were either color. Whatever it may be, you were always one or the other.

Purple sisters are typically older. The color purple represents wisdom, independence, and compassion; evidently, the qualities of a purple sister mirror those of older sisters. Being older comes with a different level of dependability that other siblings don’t have to worry about. Thus, purple sisters are more mature and parental. They somehow always have whatever item you need, like an extra fork during lunch or a hair tie during class, and are probably the person people come to for advice. Because purple is a cool color, their personalities are pretty laid back, and they like to keep to themselves.  

By contrast, pink sisters are younger. Pink represents playfulness, youth, and optimism. Unlike their older sisters, younger ones don’t have to assume responsibilities from a young age. They spend their lives as the baby of the family, allowing them to be more playful and energetic. Pink is a warm color, meaning their personalities are nothing if not flamboyant. In situations where an older sister might be more cautious, they are more outgoing. Pink sisters are full of vivacity, which makes it easier for them to excel socially. Because they’ve never experienced being an only child before, they work well with others as opposed to working alone. 

When my sister and I were younger, we were the embodiment of purple and pink sisters. Vianna and I were intensely devoted to our colors—I was purple and she was pink—and we didn’t mess around with making them our whole identity. Though I never did, I’d imagine that me suddenly deciding I liked pink better would be the equivalent of blowing out the candles on her birthday cake (which, for the record, I did do) or unexpectedly switching to her side of the room. 

Speaking of our room, it was the perfect example of our purple-pink craze. The walls were split in half lengthwise, with the top portion painted pink and bottom portion painted purple. Our bedsheets were of the same style, but to no one’s surprise, hers were decorated with pink butterflies and mine pictured purple unicorns. To further enable our obsession, my mom, without fail, dressed us in coordinating clothes, so our wardrobes were essentially identical apart from their colors. 

As we continue to grow up, Vianna and I continually display our purple and pink qualities. I will forever be her parental big sister, and she will continue being my lively little sister. We may not be so territorial over our colors anymore, and we may have allowed ourselves to venture outside of our purple and pink spheres, but I do believe that to our core, we still are (and always will be) purple and pink sisters.