Another landmark moment. Cooter finished reading “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” a couple of weeks ago. Our deal is read it, and then you get to watch it. He had to wait to watch the movie until his big sister Aub came home from college Friday afternoon. He was ready to hit play the moment she walked through the door. Thankfully, he did let me get supper served first.
They all loved it. He got through the loss of his favorite character and handled it with strength and only a few tears welled up. (Though he’d never admit it) What’s funny is I had no idea that this was also a Harry Potter Marathon weekend on one of the TV channels. So last night, I found myself sitting up alone, about to write. I clicked through and saw that the very same movie had just started playing.
True Confession: The Harry Potter movies are the same for me as Princess Diaries 2. If they’re on, I’m watching.
So I worked a bit and listened to the movie in the background, pausing for my favorite parts. Towards the end, Harry is very close to being completely taken over by evil forces in his mind and heart. What saves him from that is a montage of flashback memories–a photo of his parents, hugs from his best friend, sitting and laughing over next to nothing with his two closest friends–one by one the people he cared about came to mind, and he was able not only to fight against the evil but also to say (and I’m paraphrasing here), “I feel sorry for you. You will never know what it is like to feel love.”
Bless.
All those moments. The times we sit and just “be” with someone else–talking, listening, sharing, laughing, crying, sitting quietly–all of those moments are stored up as an arsenal against all the hard and dark and broken times in our lives.
Store them well. Make all the good memories. Never question the worth of a kind word or a smile to a stranger. Never doubt the good you do when you listen to the story of a young child or sing along to the radio with your friend. Never feel that you are wasting time just sitting with a friend, each of you doing your own thing. Never hesitate to share a laugh or encouragement or affection.
All of those things keep the light burning and in times of darkness will guide you home.
You matter. Your words and laugh and all you are matter. More than you can ever know.
Giving thanks for all the joyful memories I have tucked away and can pull back out when the storms approach.
Wishing you all the same.
Love to all.
I Might Need A Nap 