Most college students start to realize that there is one specific thing from their childhood that greatly affected who they are as a person. For many people in this generation it was the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling. I still listen to the audiobooks while I study and watch the movies when I'm stressed out. I learned a lot from those seven books like:
1) A love for literature.
When I was five, my mother began reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone to me, after my sister (age ten) began reading the series. This bonding time between me and my mother as she read me the first three books cultivated a love of reading that I still have today.
2) Sarcasm.
I thank the characters on the pages of Harry Potter for the level of sarcasm I can achieve. Every character in those books delivers a healthy amount of sass and sarcasm at least once a chapter.
3) Creativity.
This one is kind of a given. Harry Potter developed my creativity. I even created an entire character to go on their adventures with them. The outside the box thinking and problem solving creativity leads to has helped me time and time again in my "adult" life.
4) How to cope with the world around me.
The world can be a very scary place. Just turning on the news proves that. Harry Potter taught me how to cope with the darker aspects of life. It taught me it was okay to grieve death, it was okay to be scared, clumsy and everything in between. It taught me life didn't have to be bad, that I would be able to face it and live to tell the tale.
5) The importance of friendship.
The trio in Harry Potter are actual friendship goals. They are honest with each other, they trust each other, how important it is to stick together and they do this all without ulterior motives. They like each other for each other not for what one can do for the rest. Thanks to their example I have been able to weed out true friends from fake ones.
6) The importance of laughter.
Even when the books are at their darkest, someone always finds something to make everyone laugh. Whether it be Fred and George cracking jokes or even something as simple as Tonks knocking over that troll's leg umbrella stand. Then suddenly everything is okay for a minute.
7) That even our heroes have flaws.
Dumbledore was the hero for everyone. This larger than life, talented, smart wizard leading Harry throughout his time at school. Then he did something incredible. Admitted that he: felt fear, made mistakes and sometimes didn't know what the correct answer was. Harry felt anger, confusion and lost his head sometimes. Sirius was reckless. Ron abandoned the others. Lupin wanted to leave his family when he got scared. However, they always came back, tried to do what was right and never lost who they were.
8) The past is in the past, focus on the future.
Harry's past is horrible. He can't change it and he tries not to dwell on it. He focuses on the future he refuses to lie down, say "Woe is me." and let Voldemort win. He fights.
9) Sometimes we have to fight alone.
Sometimes there won't be someone to swoop in and save the day and we have to find our own way out. However it also taught us:
10) We are never alone.
There is always going to be someone who cares. Voldemort even had people who cared about him. SO sometimes you have to fight alone but there will always be someone there to support you.
11) Never fear death.
We can't control it nor can we stop it. Harry Potter taught us to accept that death is a part of life and is "just the start of a new adventure."
12) The dead never leave us.
Whether you believe in the afterlife or not, Harry Potter shows the dead are never truly gone. They could be watching over us from behind the veil of death or be with us in all of our memories.
13) It gets better and you can get through this.
Harry Potter taught me that no matter how dark life seems it will get better. I used to say to myself at 15 Harry had defeated Voldemort six times, I can get through this.
14) Sometimes what is right isn't necessarily easy.
Yes it could be hard to do what is right, but that means it's worth doing.
15) Bravery and fear aren't mutually exclusive.
Being brave is when you do what is right in spite of how scared you are.
16) Good will always conquer evil.
Evil may win the battle but good will always win the war. Someone will turn on the light.
17) The importance of love.
The entire series revolves around the importance of love over hate. That is what separates Harry and Voldemort at the core. It is what saves Harry in the end.
18) The importance of modesty.
Harry never boasts about being famous, he doesn't get a big head or become arrogant. He just stayed Harry.
So thank you Jo. Thank you for teaching me all of these important lessons, and for giving me a place that will always welcome me home. Always.
