Saying Goodbye to an Old Friend

I know it may seem silly to think of Harry as an old friend, but he has become so interwoven into the fabric of our family, that I almost feel like I'm saying goodbye to my children's childhood and innocence. While we were not Harry Potter devotees from the beginning (in fact I was one of "those" Christians that originally thought it had to be an abomination because it contained magic after all!), I can almost no longer remember a time when we were not infatuated with all things Harry Potter.

In fact, I began reading the books while nursing my now 8-year old child. After all, what else do you have to do when your sitting for hours on end? I devoured books 1 through 5 and had to wait, it seemed an eternity, for the 6th book to arrive. By the time the last one came out, my husband and oldest daughter waited in line at midnight to get it, brought it home to me, I stayed up most of the night reading it and in less than 24 hours had completed the 759 page conclusion to this magical series. I even sobbed when Dobby died. I had never before cried while reading a book. This one brought me to tears at least 4 times!

J.K. Rowling created a world on par with Narnia or Middle Earth and I have devoured these books at least 3 times each over the years. I even have fond memories of reading the first four out loud to our three oldest kids. Dale read the fifth to them and then they were old enough to read books 6 and 7 to themselves. Our third daughter has read some of them at least 5 times and has read the whole series through 3 times.

We've also enjoyed the books on CD version read by Jim Dale. If you have never listened to them, you have missed an amazing work of art! Jim Dale has a distinct voice for each and every character in the books...and there are dozens, maybe even hundreds of them. You know by his characterization which character is speaking. My goal is to eventually own a complete set of these. They are pricey, but I know they would be enjoyed by my children and even grandchildren someday.

I have even envisioned a day when I will buy a complete set of the hardback books for each of my children to take with them when they "leave the nest". These are books they should someday read to their children and I know they will!

We are huge Disney fans...we love DisneyWorld...but since Harry Potter world at Universal Studios in Orlando has opened, when we play the game of, "If I had money to do anything in the world" (or "If I had a million dollars," etc.) one or more of our children always says, "I'd go to Harry Potter World in Florida!" Harry has finally won out over Mickey Mouse!

Why this obsession? People have written many books, articles, essays, and there are even numerous fan-based websites and blogs all dedicated to Harry. So I'm sure nothing I will say here is new. But for me it's not just the depth and layers of characters, it's not the magical, fun world and the wish to live in such a place...I truly believe for me, it's the message of God that comes piercing through all of this to say, "You may think you're just mediocre at best...but I have a distinct plan, purpose..."a call"...on your life. And it may mean sacrificing your dignity, your desires, even your life. And yes, there will be times when even your closest friends will not understand and will accuse you and maybe even walk away. But in the end, I will sustain you, I will give you the tools and the strength that you need to complete your mission. And no matter how it turns out in the world's eyes, I will resurrect you to a life beyond anything you could ever imagine!"

So goodbye Harry! And thank you J.K. Rowling, I'm not sure anyone else in my lifetime will write such a masterpiece, but I'll remain hopeful. In the meantime, we'll continue to have "Harry Potter fests" with your movies and reread the books over and again. Thanks for all of the memories and for becoming such a part of our lives!