Harry Potter

I just read a Yahoo article regarding the new Harry Potter movie and it's made me a bit melancholy.

You see, normal people mark their children growing with milestones like puberty, starting middle school, etc.

I'm not normal, it seems.

I've never read the Harry Pottter series. I took my kids to the movies when they came out and we enjoyed the story line together.  I had a young child in the second movie, which was the one with the snake, and we had to leave early while the hubs sat with the others and watched the rest. He got scared (and that's okay) and so we walked down the mall to the toy store. I purchased a small stuffed dog he could hug that he promptly named, "Charlie."  He still keeps that on his bed.

My older son was Harry Potter for Halloween one year. (I can't believe how fast he's grown, just like the Harry Potter actor.)

Fast forward. I recently saw the last movie for the first time, having not gotten to the theatre for that one and I was so heartbroken at the end for Harry and his friends. I felt terrible they were having such a tough time.  I felt Harry is growing and this should be the period in his life he should be having the most fun and not have to be so responsible for everyone else.

Then I realized, I related to him so much b/c I felt like he had been a "friend" in the house all these years.  Not in the sense where they kids were always talking about Harry Potter, etc. but more an absent presence of characters in a story growing in their years along with my kids. 

And now, I'm sad more that the series is coming to an end, that this chapter in my and the kids' lives of enjoying a shared story is passing into new years.  Yes, there are other things we share but I think it's simply that this was the first, family wide enjoyment and it was able to last for several years. Now we all share books and watch films together, sharing in our views. I'm convinced, however, the Harry Potter series helped us all get to this enjoyment today.

They are older so I think I had better schedule the movie trips for these last two movies.  We are all going together, it has been decided.

Thank you for reading.  Now go remember those times with your own kids and feel happy/melancholy with me. -wink-

Cheers! Beck