December 16: Holly Hagy, London & Colorstrology

Today, December 16, is my close friend Holly Hagy's birthday.

Holly is currently in London working on "Hereafter", a supernatural thriller that Clint Eastwood is directing.  (She's been working with him for the past few years all over the world.)

I met Holly 10 years ago when I was production supervising a Vin Diesel action movie.  Holly was the Coordinator on the film and was always professional, energetic and kind to the entire crew.  It was a challenging movie to work on but Holly always walked around the office and film set with a smile on her face.

I want to find and share something in the GiftDay spirit for Holly for her birthday but I don't know the year that she was born... nor do I want to ask.  (Holly must be in her early 40's; however, I'm not comfortable asking a woman her age.)  This isn't a problem though, as a birth year is not required for a special GiftDay thought or gift.  Sometimes just a year or birthday month and day will suffice.

For a meaningful idea about what I could get or share with Holly, I turn up a book I bought recently called "Colorstrology: What Your Birthday Color Says About You".  The book has never failed to identify the exact right color for a friend based on their birthday.  While the book's color assigned to a friend based on their birthday is always tough to gauge, the description of the color always seems to match the personality of the person I am researching.

"Colorstrology," the book's description says, "is a fascinating blend of astrology, numerology, and color theory that offers exciting new insights about our lives and relationships... the system features 366 "birthday colors" that illustrate who we are and how we behave.  For example, people born on January 29 (like Oprah Winfrey) share the color Keepsake Lilac; they are "ambitious" and "tender" and "born to make a difference . . . it is not uncommon to find [them] in front of an audience."...

I flip open "Colorstrology" and thumb my way to the December 16 page in the back of the book.  And there, staring me right in the face, is the "birthday" color of my friend who is currently working in cold, gray London.  I begin to smile.  I cannot believe it.  The color is called "English Manor" and it happens to be a cold shade of gray.

The book continues, describing the person who shares the birthday with this color: "You have an unusual and often profound take on life. It is your ability to see and hear things differently that sets you apart from others. You can excel in the arts where your creativity and personal perception can lead others into a unique way of experiencing the world."

Now if this description doesn't fit Holly perfectly, I don't know what does.  Although Holly works in an office with schedule and spreadsheet tools, she is an exceptionally creative person.  She also has a very interesting take on life that allows her to trot the globe with a seemingly perpetual smile on her face.  If anyone has a unique way of experiencing the world, it's Holly Hagy.

So Holly, listen up: When you get back to the States, bring London home with you.  Pop into your local hardware store and order up loads of English Manor paint and use it to cover your living room walls with.  Buy a sharp British woman's suit in English Manor.  Paint your nails English Manor Gray!

And when you have surrounded or wrapped yourself with your own life "birthday" color, I hope you'll think of me, our friendship and GiftDay's idea.   But I know you will.  Because the GiftDay spirit always has a way of bringing people together.