I Solemnly Swear I Am Up To No Good

Day 31: What Affect has Harry Potter had on Your Life, and how Much Does it Mean to You?

I can't believe at this time tomorrow I'm going to be preparing to see the final midnight premiere of a Harry Potter movie. I'm really excited to see how they do it - but I'm also dreading it. It's all going to be over. On Saturday I'm leaving on a youth trip with 16 teenagers - and they said that while we're there they want to see Harry Potter with me.

I think it's because they all just want to see me cry and geek out the entire movie. :P

I didn't want to read Harry Potter at first. I remember hearing about it and how awesome it was - but I thought Harry Potter was the dumbest idea ever.

Who would want to read about a kid wizard? Whatever. 

Lame.

Then, my aunt got me Sorcerer's Stone for my birthday (by this time everyone was anxiously awaiting Goblet of Fire). I read it to be polite.

I bought Chamber of Secrets two days later.

And thus began a life long relationship with my favorite books of all time.

It's hard to describe the affect Harry Potter has had on my life, and how much it means to me.

It affects my life obviously because I make big events of the midnight showings of the movies, I read the books the moment they came out, I wear my Hogwarts t-shirt proudly on Halloween, etc.

But, I'm not one of the people who never read as a kid until Harry Potter came along - I was always a bookworm.

How Harry Potter affects me is that it reinforces many of my views of life.

Love is the most powerful force - or sort of "magic" in the world...

There are worse things than death...

You can't live life on your own - you need your family and friends...

But when they aren't there, and you think you're alone... you're really not...

It doesn't matter what family you were born into, where or how you were raised - it's the choices you make that make you who you are and what you become...

I don't think I really learned any of this from Harry Potter. It's more of that I re-learned it all. Reinforcing a lot of what I already know and believe in.

The Harry Potter series is the perfect example of why I love books. They tell a story - a good story - one that people can relate to and learn from. It shows both how the world is, how we wish it could be, and in a setting that people can relate to while still being taken away to another one.

I can't even imagine a more perfect combination.

It's about growing up, learning about who you are, who your real friends and family are (because as the Dursley's show us... sometimes your family really isn't your family), how to stand up for what you believe in, learning from your mistakes, loving other people....

And that's not even getting into how funny the books are, the amazing characters that seem to become your friends, and all of the magic you wish you could do yourself.

It's going to be tough watching the final movie end. But it's going to be good. Amazing even. I can feel it. And honestly, I can't wait to be able to share Harry Potter with my kids someday (that's assuming I have children at some point), and being able to see them imagine of going to Hogwarts and defeating the Dark Lord, laughing along with the jokes, and wishing they could say "Accio!" and something will come flying to them.

And not even my own children - but just other people. That honestly is one of my favorite parts of Harry Potter. I love introducing my friends and family to Harry and his friends, and seeing how they experience the story as well. I love the community Harry Potter makes. When you find someone who is also a Harry Potter fan - you have a bond. You "get" them.

So in reality - Harry Potter will never truly be over.

Which is the best part.

I guess all there's left to say then is...

Mischief Managed

What has Harry Potter - or your favorite story - meant to you?