The Joy of Reading

Life can be hard. High school life can be really hard, I'm finding out. Some teachers are nicer than others; some make more sense than others. People float around in bubbles, you could say, not wanting to let anyone in or anyone out. Friendships change. They fade away or strengthen. Everything in this life changes. And that can be a good thing and a bad thing. Actually, I wouldn't keep everything the same even if I could.

But in this ever changing world, books are the only thing that remain the same. And I love that. They can be the most real part of this world. They can be the most sane part of this insane life. Their characters are just as real to me as the air I breathe. I can always visit them in my mind and feel them in my heart. They are the only people who can be guaranteed to never change, to always remain faithful. Some of the most real relationships I've had, I've had with characters. From Anne Shirley to Severus Snape, every single character of every single book I have read has a place in my heart. From Elizabeth Bennet to Minny Jackson, they are all part of me.

My ten-year-old sister is officially hooked on reading. She began reading Harry Potter a few days ago and is enthralled. She has been swept away in the fascinating world of Hogwarts. My mom told me that she's been smiling and crying and laughing. I'm so happy that she is finally enjoying reading! I guess the only that I am disappointed about, though, is that she "HATES" Severus Snape. Ugh, I'll have to work on that. . . .

I'm so happy, though, that she'll meet the characters that never cease to amaze me. And that she is discovering that not all things that take place in your head aren't real. . . .

"Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean it is not real?” -- J.K. Rowling, via Albus Dumbledore