1. Your imagination can be your greatest asset.
“Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.” ― Lewis Carroll, "Alice in Wonderland"
"Alice in Wonderland," despite the theory that it’s all a metaphor for drug use, is very much a story about the power of the imagination and giving in to it. Alice is a young girl who has a very powerful imagination, but upon finding herself in wonderland, her logical British upbringing kicks in leaving her doubting everything she sees. She learns that her imagination is the only way to understand how wonderland works. We should never underestimate the capability our imagination has to carry us through life and problematic situations. Sometimes a little madness is all we need to see more clearly.
2. Sometimes you have to grow up when you don't want to, but that doesn't mean you have to let go of your sense of wonder.
“If Peter was nine, and a new boy came to St. Norbert’s Home for Wayward Boys who said he was ten, why, then, Peter would declare himself eleven. Also, he could spit the farthest. That made him the undisputed leader.”
― Dave Barry, "Peter and the Starcatcher"
Everyone knows Peter Pan to be the boy who wanted to live in Neverland forever and never grow up. Wendy’s journey with him teaches us all that we can’t escape time, and all lost boys and girls have to grow up. But this doesn’t mean we have to give up all our childlike tendencies. We can still believe in magic; we don’t always have to be mature. After all, age is just a number, as the version of Peter from "Starcatcher" learns. He always wanted to be the oldest and most respected of the boys from the orphanage, but he was trying to grow up a little too quickly before he became the boy that never aged.
3. Appreciate each moment while it's happening and take advantage of what life has to offer.
“So many things are possible just as long as you don't know they're impossible.” ― Norton Juster, "The Phantom Tollbooth"
Milo never found interest in the world around him. When he was at home he wanted to be at school, when he was at school he wanted to be at home. He rushed through life always hoping to get to something better fast. Milo’s journey taught me to slow down in my moments. Yes, something greater might be just around the corner, but that doesn’t mean the life you are experiencing at this very moment isn’t worth your undivided attention. The future will come, but the past never comes back. So let’s not let a great moment escape by allowing the possibility of something greater define our choices. Milo learned not to take everything at face value because the literal and figurative are more similar than you think and most times the impossible is possible.
4. There is a power in words and storytelling that is incomparable to anything.
“Books have to be heavy because the whole world's inside them.” ― Cornelia Funke, "Inkheart"
In "Inkheart" it only took the power of one voice, one storyteller to quite literally bring a world to life. I’ve learned to never doubt the power that my voice, stories and opinions hold. Everyone’s voice can make a difference in a life. Whether it be through advocating for a cause or giving the world the beauty of fictitious worlds to lose themselves in. Putting feelings to page in the perfect combination words may seem difficult, but when done right the result is pure magic, that can almost quite literally crawl out of the pages and into your life.
5. People are not always what they seem.
“'What I mean and what I say is two different things,' the BFG announced rather grandly.” ― Roald Dahl, "The BFG"
Everyone has been guilty at one point or another of judging someone’s character by their appearance. It is something unfortunately ingrained in our minds whether we are consciously aware of it or not. When little Sophie meets a giant it’s no wonder she’s afraid of something she doesn’t understand. Little did she know that BFG stood for “Big Friendly Giant.” I’ve learned not to take everyone at face value from this story. Just because someone looks a certain way, is from a particular place or just seems a little different does not inherently mean they are lesser, to be feared or hated. Every person has value, and everyone has a story that you need to take long enough to listen too before you make up your mind about a person.
6. Don't let anyone tell you who you are or who you could be.
“'Why?' breathed Boy 412. 'Why me?' 'You have astonishing Magykal power. I told you before. Maybe now you’ll believe me.' She smiled.” ― Angie Sage, "Magyk"
Septimus Heap; my own personal Harry Potter. A story full of magic and complex characters. Septimus is a boy who is taken from his family at a young age and has to go through many years of hardships before really figuring out who he is. He never truly listened to those telling him who he was supposed to be, and neither do I. We can’t let others dictate who we are meant to be based on silly expectations. Carving your own path despite your past or your projected future is the bravest thing you can do. Just because one person is a doctor doesn’t mean any other life path is lesser. What really dictates the value and beauty of who you become is your passion for what you love and the respect for oneself to ignore those who want to control you.
7. No matter how far your travels take you, they can always lead you back home.
“But what was I but a scared child lost in a strange world? How could I replace all that been lost? Where was my place in the world?” ― Patrick Carman, "Stargazer"
Alexa Daley’s travels take her far from home and people she loves, but she had to leave. She had to escape the (literal) walls surrounding her to explore the world beyond them that she was told were too dangerous to venture too. I have a similar sense of adventure about myself. I cannot wait to explore the world, even knowing that all those travels won’t be easy or practical, it’s the experience that is worth it. New places are scary, strange, and intimidating, but entirely enticing. No matter how far I wish to go I always know I have a support system back home waiting to welcome me back with open arms, whether I’m moving two states away or taking a trip half way across the world. Home is not so much a place as the people that make it feel that way.
8. There is more magic in the world than meets the eye.
“We make art. We do not feel the need to cut things apart to see what they're made of.” ― Holly Black, "Lucinda's Secret"
While we may not be able to find brownies, sprites, faeries, and nymphs everywhere with a magical stone like the Grace kids did we sometimes overlook the natural wonder in the world. The sound of wind rustling through the trees as scatters of sunlight dust a well-worn path can feel as magical as any mythical beast we could wish to see in real life. There are small instances all around us that are more incredible that we give them credit for, and stopping every once and a while to appreciate these them can bring the mundane into technicolor radiance. The Grace children taught me to make my own fairy tales out of the ordinary.
9. Family can get you through anything.
The Baudelaire children had the worst of it. There is no sugar coating their misery. The loss of their parents, a crazy lunatic killing people they loved and trying to steal their fortune, near death themselves on multiple occasions, and lots and lots of bad disguises. Yet, they got through all of it. Somewhat impossibly being that they are fourteen, twelve, and a baby. It’s because the bond of family outwits any “clever” scheme count Olaf threw their way. The Baudelaire’s instilled into me the importance of family in times of struggle. No matter what hard times I may be facing I know I can rely on my family to be my strength and keep me on my feet when I feel weak and unable to continue. Although, I don’t see myself ever having to be on the run from a crazy man trying to steal my money because my parents are dead, it is nice to know even then I have two sisters who would be right in the thick of it with me.
10. Friends can become family when you feel as though you have none.
“Do not pity the dead, Harry. Pity the living, and, above all those who live without love.”― J.K. Rowling, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallow"
You had to know it was coming. Although, I find it hard to believe myself that I was able to pick a single lesson "Harry Potter" taught me when there is so many, I think this is the most important. Harry was an orphan, and despite living with his aunt and uncle, they were never really family. They were cruel people who let him live in their house and feared him because he was different. Harry felt utterly alone until he learned who he was and left for Hogwarts. I love my family, but my friends are the ones I chose when I had a choice. My friends have become my extended family, just as Harry’s friends became his. Friends stand by your side no matter how many stupid fights you may have or whatever bad choices you may make. My friends have helped shape me into the person I am, and I thank the "Harry Potter" world for giving me the lesson to always value, respect, and appreciate the people who chose to spend their time with you; the people who chose to let themselves become your family.
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