Continuing my Thankful Thursday posts today I want to talk about JK Rowling. I am so very thankful for her persistence and her talents. You may know how much I LOVE Harry Potter from previous posts. But I didn’t love his story right away. J.K. Rowling published her first book Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone 1997 when I was only 15 years old. Growing up I developed a love for reading. My favorite books were Sweet Valley Kids, Sweet Valley Twins, Sweet Valley High, and later Sweet Valley University. I love reading all about Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield. And I enjoyed reading in school for the most part. I read Pride and Prejudice for the first time when I was 16 and loved it! Although I had to reread certain parts as I was sure Jane Austen might have been making a joke and I didn’t want that to be lost on me. My reading also included romance novels by Anita Stansfield who wrote proper romances whose characters were members of my faith. I was not very diversified in my reading. And I am afraid that my knowledge of children’s classics is limited. So I never heard of Harry Potter or his magical adventures.
Flash forward to when Grady and I were dating. It was probably around the year 2001. One of our favorite dates is going to Barnes and Noble, rounding up our favorite books and read together. I suppose I forgot to mention that I also loved reading Self Help books, something I am sure I got from my mother. I often read books she had around the house. So on this particular date I naturally grabbed self help books and Grady would grab books I am going to guess on Star Wars. One night there were tons of kids running around. Everywhere. And with glasses and lightening bolts drawn on their foreheads. Grady and I were perplexed as it was at least 10:30 pm. We found out there was a new children’s book coming out that night. I thought that it was lovely that children were so excited about reading.
Grady and I ended up watching the first Harry Potter film for a date. But not because we wanted to. Some other movie was sold out and this was the alternative. I really wasn’t interested in seeing a movie about a wizard boy. We liked it, but to be honest we didn’t watch all of it. Later in our married years we would go and watch the movies together. My hubby really loves going to the movies. And the movies got better. Then around 2005 Grady decided he wanted to read the books. And he wanted me to read them with him. I told him I don’t have time to read books like that. We had recently had Gandalf so I was trying to read every baby book I could. Introducing solids. Potty Training. Learning through play. Things that were much more important to me.
We continued to watch the movies and I would love when Grady would tell me more about Harry’s story. And I loved hearing about it. I was sure I would read them to Gandalf some day. Then in 2007 it happened. I was in the back room at the salon reading a People magazine between clients. They had a small article about talking to your children in case Harry died. The last book was coming out. And I realized I cared. And I didn’t want anyone to tell me if Harry died. I wanted to know for myself. I had two weeks before the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows would come out. I read all 6 books in a week and a half. And I LOVED every page of it!!!
And I remembered what it was like to read for fun. To read for the pure enjoyment of reading. To want to read when you are eating because you don’t want to put the book down. To read and have to stay up for “one more chapter” only finally to tell yourself at 3:00 am that you need to go to sleep. I love that feeling! And I realized that I didn’t know how to transition into adult reading. I couldn’t keep reading Sweet Valley forever so when I became an adult I just read books about bettering myself. What do I read now?
When the 7th book came out we bought 2 copies. I came home from the salon to see Grady had propped it up on the table waiting for me. And we read. Someone had planned a wedding that night when the 7th book came out. I read out loud as Grady drove us to the ceremony. We stayed in the car to finish a section and barely made it in on time. We left the reception early. One of my girlfriends from work brought her copy to the reception. We loved talking about what we had read that night.
I read faster than Grady and he would get upset if I gasped or laughed. We pretty much let Gandalf fend for himself. We knew he would understand. I loved reading The Deathly Hallows with Grady. And I have since reread the series over and over again. I think maybe 5 times or so. Usually when I am pregnant it helps keep my mind off feeling like death.
So if I could tell JK Rowling anything it would be thank you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Thank you for not giving up and for sharing Harry’s story with us. J.K. Rowling has helped so many children learn to love reading. And for that I am so grateful! What a gift it is for a child to discover that books can be some of life’s dearest friends. She has blessed our world with the wonderful morals of finding goodness in everyone. Finding value in everyone no matter if they are a muggle, pure blood, or a house elf. She has taught that love is the answer to so many of problems in life. There are so many great lessons in her books. And I can’t wait to share them with each of my children. Thank you for helping children fall in love with Harry’s story. And for reminding this adult that reading brings such joy to our lives.
After reading Harry Potter I decided I needed to read all of Jane Austen’s works because Pride and Prejudice was my favorite book ever. And I am thankful for dear friends that help me know what other adult books I would enjoy And not to say I can’t still enjoy books that are targeted at children or young adults because I do. Through Harry Potter I learned that my life is better with books in it. And not just books about improving myself or marriage or parenting. I read those still too. But I love to read just for the sake of loving to read. And I am so very thankful for my dear friend Alex who always knows what book to recommend. Everyone should have an amazing, witty friend who has majored in English Literature and reads a new books everyday. I am thankful for our friendship and her wonderful expertise. Also it helps that she loaned so many books to me as well. And I am glad I was able to loan out my Deathly Hallows copy to her as was waiting a bit longer for her English version.
Gandalf finished the series this year and loved it. When he was done he asked me, “Now what do I do?” I was like I get it. Draco is reading the 4th one right now. And just this week Yoda and I started Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Have you seen the new Illustrated edition? Yoda might be getting it for Christmas this year. You are going to want to check it out. My children sing and dance to Dark Lord Funk. They shoot spells at each other. Just last night we played Harry Potter Clue as a family. I am so thankful that all of my children love Harry Potter and I can share the magic of his story with them.
Do you still remember what book made you fall in love with reading? Share it in the comments below.
Our Kerrazy Adventure – our journey of happiness