As Rory Gilmore quoted in her high school graduation speech, "I live in two worlds. One is a world of books." As I grew up, I delved into fictional novels and movies and stories that entranced me with their magic and the romance of their put-together lives. However, despite the fact that I now know the world does not always work the way it does in a beautiful novel or a Disney movie like I would hope, there are still real life lessons to be learned in all of those stories. Here are a few of the most important ones I've learned:
1. The Darkness Will Not Last Forever (if you don't let it)
As any Harry Potter nerd will know, "Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times if one only remembers to turn on the light." Inevitably in our lives, we are going to be faced with darkness, despair, and at some point, maybe even a sense of hopelessness. We will lose things, belongings, loved ones, but that does not mean we have to lose our joy. The story of Harry Potter taught us all to fight for love and to fight for happiness. We choose our own destiny, and we do choose how we are going to respond when tragedy strikes. And when those things do happen, we also remember to reach out and help those around us who are struggling as well. Friendship and loyalty are two of the brightest lights we will ever find.
2. Worthiness does not come from the quantity of your riches, but rather the quality of your heart.
As a fan of all fairytales and princesses, of course I loved the book and movie "A Little Princess" growing up. One of the best parts of the entire story was not when she was clothed in beautiful cloth and had all her heart's desire, but when everything was taken away from her and the girls still wanted to know her and hear her stories. It wasn't about what she was wearing or the fact that she had everything taken away, but rather that she was someone who was kind, understanding, and loving. As that sweet little princess said in the movie, "I am a princess. All girls are. Even if they live in tiny old attics. Even if they dress in rags, even if they aren't pretty, or smart, or young. They're still princesses. All of us are." Admit it, you teared up at that part. I know I still do.
3. We have the power to impact others for good.
From the highlight, I'm sure you can guess that this lesson comes from the infamous, "Wicked." As the song goes, "Because I knew you, I have been changed for good." When we enter into someone's life, whether it's meant to be for a short or long time, we have the opportunity to help them become better. We are introduced into people's lives for reasons we may not know, but we do often help them grow in ways we didn't know we would. So share your story, and share what you learn. You never know what you'll get in return either. You could get an entirely new perspective on life, or the courage to do whatever you always wanted or needed to do but were too afraid to.
4. True friends see you through thick and thin.
Any LOTR true fan will tell you that the hero of the story is Sam. Sam is brave, true, and loyal to Frodo under all circumstances. He never leaves his side, and helps him, even when he isn't being the best friend in return (due to the ring, of course). But Sam understands what it means to be a real friend and what the significance of that friendship is and their duty to each other. What if we treated all of our friendships with that same devotion and loyalty? How could we change the world to be a better place? It's a pretty awesome thought, isn't it?
So that's it. Just 4 seemingly small lessons in the grand scheme of these stories, but important thoughts for us all to peruse the next time we decide to sit down with a chapter book or a movie to relax. Maybe it will all make us better than before we opened the cover, or pressed play on the remote.
