Lesson Two: "The thing about growing up with Fred and George is that you sort of start thinking anything's possible if you've got enough nerve." Ginny Weasley, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.
I started reading the Harry Potter books at the tender age of nine, so I think I can safely say that I've grown up with dear Fred and George and I've developed that same "anything's possible" mentality as Ginny.
The books are filled with wonder and magic, but magic isn't the cure-all solution that one would assume it is. The characters in these books still struggle through their problems--from the mundane problems of homework, finicky teachers, and school relationships to the overwhelming problems of being hunted down by a psycho-serial killer--as though there were nothing magical about them. To them, the fantastic elements of their world are as mundane as the electrical elements of our world. And in the end, they have to sort out their problems the same way we do--with a lot hard work, diligence, and perseverance.
Because Gryffindor is the house of the brave and the daring, it shouldn't be surprising that so many of those characters have "got enough nerve" to chase after their dreams and solve their problems. But for someone as shy as I am (and I know, to some of you who know me, you're thinking: "Sarah? Shy? Hardly!"), sometimes summoning that nerve is hard, so I've always been grateful for such stellar examples of what you can achieve when you put your mind to it. Fred and George opened a joke shop. The marauders became animagi at the age of 15. Ron finally got the girl. And Harry defeated Voldemort how many times?
Within the Church, we're taught that, with God, anything is possible. But were also taught that our faith is nothing without good works. There are times when it feels like God isn't giving you the help you want or think you need and you end up working harder than you ever thought you could to achieve something you want. In truth, God was there the whole time, but he's so much more aware of our strength and capabilities than we are, and he knew what we could do without his direct influence. I believe wholeheartedly that God is at our side at all times, but I also believe (with equal fervor) that we never know what we are capable of until we do it.
The Harry Potter books didn't teach me about finding quick ways to solve my problems or how to take short cuts in achieving my goals. They taught me about diligence and perseverance and enduring to the end. They taught me to summon my nerve and commit myself to the tasks laid out before me. Magic is more than wand waving and silly incantations. Real magic happens when you discover the potential inside yourself and learn how much you can really do.
I'd like to close with the words of another author of my childhood, Shel Silverstein:
Listen to the MUSTN'Ts, child,
Listen to the DON'Ts,
Listen to the SHOULDN'Ts,
The IMPOSSIBLES, the WON'Ts,
Listen to the NEVER HAVES,
Then listen to me close--
Anything can happen, child,
ANYTHING can be.
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