Happy Birthday, Harry Potter!

 

Happy birthday, Harry Potter!

Thank you, Harry, for living a life of love, friendship, suffering and humility.

My late godmother (Ninang), Cindy, gave me my first three Harry Potter books. The library she worked at in Michigan was having a book sale, and the first three in the series were some of the many she shipped to me. To be honest, I remember not being very impressed. Though excited by the idea of a book with characters of magical background, I really thought it was going to be just another dumb children's book. I was wrong. I was wrong on more levels than I could have ever imagined. Harry Potter came into my life like a hurricane. It turned my life around. It connected me and continues to connect me with people I might not have otherwise placed into my life. JK Rowling, through the words in her story, taught me how to be more accepting of people's differences and to strive to be less judgmental. With Fred Weasley's death, who also happened to be my favorite character, JK Rowling taught me that there are some deaths you don't get over and that's ok. And it was this notion that made dealing with my Grandmother's death a tad bit easier.  I have read each book numerous times, and watched each movie almost just as many times. I have planned aspects of my future around this universe, and I ain't even sorry about it.

Thank you, JK Rowling, for giving us a story that changed the world and generations to come.

Happy birthday, Jo!