Most people have a favourite. Something caught your eye when you were a kid. It might be the colour of your favourite toy. Or your favourite food. It might be the colours of your nation’s flag. Colours are abundant in our world, the different shades make the world more interesting.

People are of different skin colours too. Some of us are white. Some of us are Brown. Black. Yellow, Olive-skinned. Grey. Different but the same in many aspects. Various empires sent their colonists out into the bigger world. The locals were impacted and the trauma that was experienced can be passed down through the generations. A deep lack of trust was ingrained by the actions of colonists toward the natives. This distrust can be passed down the bloodline, leading to intergenerational trauma.

When you are in good health you can tolerate a lot more than when you are unwell. Your baseline fears and needs come to the surface under stress. The uncertainty of their situation can leave a person terrified. The fears from the past can come back, no matter how strong a person had been in suppressing them.

Past traumas can be triggered unintentionally and people may want to avoid situations when they feel at their most vulnerable. People try to remain as independent as possible, and they may struggle in their non-acceptance of help. When you are weak and tired you may try to show your strength by pushing people away. Not being able to toilet or shower oneself may be one such situation. Requiring assistance means the loss of privacy and dignity. Having to be naked in the presence of others is a huge line to cross. Having to admit, “I need help. I am vulnerable.” A nightmare situation for anyone, having to be fully exposed. Add to that the inter-generational fear triggered by someone who resembles your ancestors’ oppressors and pre-existing suffering can be amplified.

Colours can affect us in many ways. Red light means Stop. Green for Go. What does amber/orange mean? Speed up or slow down? Everything becomes a blur of colour. The centre cannot hold, as a human being accelerates towards the finish line. The colour in their eyes faded down to a sparkless stare into space. The light of the person dims as they prepare to leave this plane of existence. Off they go to parts unknown, never to return again.