P.S. I Love You Day: “Purple Day”

The week of February 12th, the main hallway was decorated in purple; purple streamers adorned the ceiling, a purple paper tree flourished and purple post-its occupied lockers. So, why did the color dominate the hallways? February 9th marks P.S. I Love You Day; it is a day dedicated to removing the stigma around mental health issues and spreading love to others. P.S. I Love You Day was founded by Brooke DiPalma, a fourteen-year-old girl who lost her father in 2010 due to suicide. Her father’s notable last words, “I love you,” inspired the name of the day we recognize every February. In honor of P.S. I Love You Day, North’s Students Against Destructive Decisions Club (SADD) organizes an annual weeklong campaign. As indicated by the main hallway, purple is the color associated with this campaign. Because Brooke decided to make light of a dark situation, many schools and individuals recognize P.S. I Love You across the state. 

Mental health advocacy serves as one of the S.A.D.D. club’s main initiatives, so P.S. I Love You Day gets carefully planned out and executed. The club’s advisor, Mr. Moniaci, the officers, and the club members work together to ensure the campaign’s success. The main hallway decorations help bring S.A.D.D. campaigns to life and require a great deal of collective effort. Club members divided themselves into committees for posters, the main office window, the display case, and streamers. The main display case was meant to reflect this year’s theme of “love is meant to be given.” To do this, club members created an array of gifts, bows, and hearts to convey the idea that love is meant to be given like a gift. Additionally, members Navrosedip Kundlas and Wesley Pang crafted a tree that served as a symbol of the growth many experience on their mental health journey. As the vice president, I can attest to the great deal of effort the club members contributed to the decorating process. Working around BSU’s artwork, S.A.D.D. members effectively brought honor to P.S. I Love You Day’s ideals. 

S.A.D.D. members’ duties were not fulfilled on Monday; Thursday afternoon S.A.D.D. resumed its P.S. I Love You Day activities with post-its in hand. One of the most memorable aspects of P.S. I Love You Day for most students is finding special purple notes on their lockers upon their arrival at school. As involved as S.A.D.D. members are, covering every locker in the building is not a one-club job, so S.A.D.D. enlisted other clubs to assist. A total of ten other clubs assisted and were each assigned a hallway. Each club wrote positive messages on the purple post-its and taped them onto each locker in the hallway. The next day, February 16th, was North’s P.S. I Love You Day when purple-clad students were greeted by some written encouragement on purple-post it notes.  

P.S. The day is much more than “wear purple day;” it is a reminder we should prioritize mental health and spreading love in any way we can.