Faith, Trust, and a Bit of Medical Magic

Tags

cancer, faith, family, hope, sisters, Susan G Komen, Susan G Komen 3 Day, thoughts

If you’re here because of the Writer’s Process Blog Hop, THANK YOU FOR COMING! And I am working on that post and it will appear later this week – excuse my slowness. Until then, enjoy this post and please return to read all about my crazy writing process and find more fabulous people to stalk … er, sorry, discover!

Two years ago, on a spring break much like this one, I said good-bye to my hubs and kids as they traveled to the in-laws. Because I wasn’t going with them. I had somewhere very important to be.

My sister’s house, to sit with her while she went through chemo.

In Januaray of 2012, my sister (younger sister, she was 37 at the time) called to tell me that she had breast cancer.

What? Cancer?

I cried. A lot. We all did. My mom … our other sister (the baby, who has MS, but that’s another story), friends, family … we were devastated. And here I was a six hour drive away.

After the initial shock, the uncontrollable sobbing, we grabbed hold of our faith and put on our we-can-handle-this pants. Because nothing was going to take her from us.

Chemo started in February. All her friends lined up to take turns keeping her company as terrible poison was pumped through her body. And here I was … two states away, feeling useless.

So, I looked at the kids and said, “I know it’s a long drive for a weekend trip, but I think we need to go see Aunt Sharon!” They agreed. So we did. Being with her made all the difference. It was real.

But with the support of EVERYONE, she could beat it.

Chemo hit her hard.

I’ll never forget the text asking if she should shave her hair or wait for it to fall out. I told her to shave it. Don’t let the cancer have control. So she did and sent me a pic of her newly buzzed head … she was smiling through her tears.

I kept my phone handy, my new one that allowed easier texting. We texted all the time, my sisters, mom, and me. We played games during her long boring trips to the doctor.  Guess what I’m looking at … What movie is this line from … we laughed across the miles. But I wasn’t THERE.

Until I looked at the calendar and realized that I could be.

On spring break, I went to her house and sat with her through her chemo session, where we watched movies and talked and laughed. I went out to get us lunch. We sat up that night doing whatever we wanted. Eating pizza and watching movies. I took her to her appointment the following day where she would get an injection … because after cramming your body full of yuck, they have to give you good stuff too. It was my job to distract her from the large needle. Which I did! Suddenly it was over and she didn’t even realize they had done it! Yea! Mission complete.

A friend of hers threw her a comfort party complete with booby-shaped cake and invited me! So I drove down again with presents and my old boxing gloves that we signed and decorated to inspire her to beat cancer.

Her chemo ended in May. The lump had shrunk. Her hair was gone. But spirits soared.

Next was the double mastectomy. Wow. Talk about scary. I paced the house that day, waiting for a text saying she was out, that she was well, that all had gone as planned.

It did.

Recovery was … well, a bitch.

My mom and dad stayed with her to help take care of her, her two girls, and the house as her hubs went off to work. We were in constant contact. I heard all the updates as they drained fluids and inspected stitches. I heard about how her two girls (8 and 4 at the time) were trying to adjust to the crazy life where they couldn’t hug their mom.

She did recover … so on to radiation, but first she had to do physical therapy. To do radiation, she had to be able to raise her arms above her head and after keeping her arms pinned to her side for so long after surgery, she couldn’t. I was there to take her to her first appointment. And physical therapy was seriously cool.

Radiation started in September, ending in October. She was burned, but all the scans looked good. She was pronounced cancer free.

Breathe.

That year my whole family … Mom, Dad, two sisters, their hubs and kids (a total of four girls) came to my house for Thanksgiving. And what a celebration! We held onto our faith that everything would be okay. We put our trust in doctors. And the magic of medical science saved my sister.

In November of 2013, in honor of my sister being cancer free for one whole year, my two sisters and I participated in the Susan G. Komen 3 Day Walk in San Diego. Living in the mid-west, I questioned why there, when there are walks much closer … and was met by the question ‘Why not? You don’t want to go to California?’

Touche.

We raised money, my brother-in-law booked us all flights with his flyer miles, we prepared, buying new walking shoes, pink everything, I tie-dyed us pink shirts with our team name – TaTa Sisterhood painted on them. We were So excited.

My first time in an airplane! I went to California to be with my sisters (the best sisters in the world!) to walk 60 miles in three days. We did it! We hurt. We were exhausted. We slept in little pink tents that I never want to see again. But it was an experience we will never forget, full of moments to be treasured.

Me, Sharon (the survivor), and Janet

Sharon made us each a poster to remember the journey.

And in the end, I get to keep my sister. What more could I want? These stories don’t always have happy endings, I know that. But no matter the outcome we must hold onto hope … have faith, trust in the magic, and never give up.

Two years ago, seems like yesterday.

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Spring break!

Tags

family, kids, spring break, thoughts, vacations

Even though spring is hiding … somewhere … we have reached the magical time of the school year known as SPRING BREAK! A little vaca from school and all things related, getting up earlier than I would like, packing lunches, driving them to school, signing homework planners … all that blah, blah, blah.

Every spring break we take a trip, the same one. First we go to my parents’ house in Illinois. My mom and dad, my sister and her hubs and two kids all live there. My other sister and her hubs and two kids usually drive up too so we can ALL BE TOGETHER!

I love these visits. As my kids grow, my favorite moments are watching them interact with my family. We’re awesome. A little crazy, but in a good way.

I get to visit with my four nieces, who I don’t get to see enough. And you should hear some of our conversations! Six-year-olds know things! And they share everything and there’s no one better to talk silly than with my nieces. Seriously. Weird runs in the family. 🙂 I’m certain I will be called upon to read ALL THE BOOKS to them! Skippyjon Jones being one of our favorites.

We are going to see The Muppets: Most Wanted. We will take the three block walk to the local candy shop. We will go see the progress my dad has made on the house he is flipping. We will chit-chat and laugh hysterically.

A moment of honesty … I hate leaving home. I get serious anxiety at the thought of going away even to visit my marvelous family. Once I’m gone, I’m fine, but before … *flails* … My cats. My house – my safe, comfy place. But I leave, and I survive. And I have a great time.

So HAPPY SPRING BREAK … even without warmer temps and spring flowers. I am headed for joy-filled days with my family. I am ready to let go of everything I’ve been over-thinking (yes, writing, that could be you … yes, workout and eating, that could be you). I will be relaxing, not worrying, taking a break from real life.

There is magic in a bit of down time. Everyone should grab hold of those moments.

So I must dash, because I am not READY TO GO! Bye! *waves*

What is the best way for you to unwind?

Books vs. Movies

Tags

acceptance, Book Thief, books, books to movies, fiction, Harry Potter, movies, Narnia, Stephen King, thoughts

“AH! They’re making one of my favorite books into a movie!” I know I’ve joyfully screamed that phrase numerous time, sometimes accompanied by wild flailing.

After the excitement comes the fear, the worry … favorite characters, worlds, story … will I love it? Will it be what I want it to be?

And we begin pacing, chewing on our fingernails. What if it fails to impress?

I have heard so many people complain …

The movie wasn’t like the book.

Scenes were missing …

The story wasn’t right …

It just didn’t do a good job.

What were those movie people thinking?

I too am guilty of movie judging. And I can tell you the exact moment when I quit.

After seeing the movie ‘Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban’, I exited the theater so upset at all the things they changed. All the mistakes ran wild through my mind. During the movie I grumbled, pulling on my HP nerd power to figure out exactly which scenes they cut, how they totally messed up the story … and how this movie (because of a new director) looked so different from the first two.

And then later that evening, I wanted to slap myself. I had just ruined my HP movie experience with all my nerdiness. I had just sucked away all the joy I could have had sitting in that theater with my popcorn. I love Harry and all his gang. I love Hogwarts. What had I done?

That’s when I vowed to never judge a movie by the book, to accept the movie for what it is … an adaptation. And I have found a new love for movies that differ from the books that inspired them. I enjoy having a different experience with each.

Overall, the Harry Potter movies and books give us the same feelings, the same bigger picture, but separately they give us a little something different. If the two experiences were exactly the same … what would be the point?

The Last Unicorn movie had been one of my childhood favorites. Seriously, I had it memorized. Magic do your will!

Same with The Neverending Story. Atreyu!

So when I discovered the books as an adult I was really excited. The Neverending Story was so much more than the movie, which gave us one slice of that book. I was thrilled to read the rest!
The Last Unicorn, however, was exactly the same. Exactly. Hmmm. I was disappointed.

What’s wrong with changing the end of a book for a movie to surprise us? Knowing exactly what will happen is boring.

I flat out refused to see The Golden Compass movie because of my love for that series. I knew they couldn’t put in that movie what those books held. I did years later watch it and I enjoyed it for what it was, but no … they didn’t capture the essence of that book.

I love The Lord of the Rings … both versions, both experiences.

Now, The Hobbit had me confused. They reached the halfway point of the book in the first movie. How would they get two more movies out of the second half? By adding all sorts of scenes, by golly! Fun scenes. Action-packed scenes!

Well, okay then.

I think the Narnia movies took that series to a new level of cool. The books are fabulous, but as they are written for kids are fairly simple. The movies impressed me.

Percy Jackson … the books, the movies, it’s all fun.

If you’ve never read The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brain Selznik … read it. It’s just … well, read it. The movie? Hugo. Just as fabulous with a bit of added humor.

The Shining … Stephen King’s horrific tale is one of my favorite horror books. Everyone knows Jack Nicholson as Mr. Torrence, but that movie, as scary as it is, tumbles far from the book’s path. Even Stephen King was slightly disappointed enough to create a mini-series for TV, which follows the book well and is GREAT! I finally found it on DVD! Eeek!

I have read The Book Thief a couple of times. All the love for that story! I gifted a copy to my mom! It’s SO fabulous. So I bought the movie … and haven’t gotten the chance to watch it yet. So stay tuned for me hopefully screaming in joy with that experience. *crosses fingers*

And with the release of the movie Divergent, we face it again. No, I haven’t seen it, but I did like the book! But I plan on watching without dwelling on the book version.

Anyway, let’s not fight, kids. Let’s embrace all the different forms of the stories we love. We can all live happily.

Unless, well … poor acting, script writing … you know. Overlooking that might be difficult.

Forget, for a moment, of our need for everything to be perfect. It can’t be. As we do in life for EVERYTHING … people, jobs, relationships, accept things for what they are. Like it or don’t, but if we let go of all our high expectations for it to fill this mold in our heads, sometimes we might just find contentment.

Muppets’ Magic

Tags

Jim Henson, life, magic, movies, Muppets, thoughts

Why are there so many songs about rainbows?

It’s not easy being green.

Movin’ right along!

It’s time to play the music. It’s time to light the lights.

It’s time to get things started …

On the most sensational, inspirational, celebrational, Muppetational … this is what we call The Muppet Show!

So many memories. So many laughs. I grew up watching The Muppet Show. So today when yet another Muppet movie is released … I want to honor their special magic.

Even if you don’t know The Muppets, you know them. Everyone has their favorite. I’ve always been partial to Gonzo and Animal … and Beaker. The songs. The comedy. The life lessons.

Believe in yourself.

Dream.

Everyone has a place in the world.

Jim Henson’s dream came true. He shared his brilliance with the world and it was embraced.

I remember when he died, when the world lost a shining star. I cry thinking about all he didn’t get to do. However, look at what he added to our lives. He gave us The Muppets. He made us laugh. He taught us that even if we’re a karate-chopping pig who refers to herself as ‘moi’, a frog who plays the banjo and sings, or a strange blue whatever that talks to chickens, we all have something to give the world. Ourselves.

And his creative genius continues.

When the last movie ‘The Muppets’ entered the theaters, I was excited, but nervous. Would they still be my Muppets?

I left the theater, wiping the tears of joy from my face. All the magic was there as my favorite frog, pig, bear, whatever, and all their friends assembled on the screen. The Muppets never left the hearts of all those who love them.

Have you heard about the new show on the Sy-Fy channel? Jim’s Henson Creature Shop Challenge starts Tuesday the 25th! One of my crazy-dreamity-dream land dreams is to be a creature creator for the movies. Of course, I traveled a different path, so not likely, but that job would ROCK! With computer graphics such a huge part of movies now, this show comes out celebrating the great art of creature creation. Wow!

Thank you, Jim Henson! For being you, for sharing your magic, for believing in your dream. Look what you’ve done, so far.

And now another movie that I CAN’T WAIT TO SEE! A TV show I will watch with interest and dream of being on.

Come on! Get in your rainbow-colored Studebaker and take a left at the fork in the road. *Muppet flail*

Who’s with me?

The Marvelous Moments of Life

Tags

life, moments, paying attention, thoughts

I live wrapped up in the moments of life. Because life is made up of moments. Some good, some not so good, but most just average, ordinary bits.

Pay attention to them all. You only get one chance, unless you own a TARDIS, and if that’s the case … FIND ME!

Until The Doctor picks me up to travel through time and space … I’ll hold onto my normal, everyday days.

Traveling the aisles of the grocery store, I sing with the songs trickling over the loud speakers, I grin at the kids begging for EVERYTHING, I giggle at the strange pieces of conversations floating through the store. In the check-out line, I inspect the cart in front of me and sometimes feel inferior. I prop my foot on the bottom rack of the cart and stare, I listen, I breathe in that very second because before I know it, I’ll be home unpacking the bags, putting things on shelves, which is totally annoying, by the way. And sure, next week, I’ll be back, doing the same thing, but it will be different.

And, as usual, in the blink of an eye, I’m moving on to the next task.

Spring is coming … I think … and when it finally arrives you’ll soon find me at the ballpark watching my kids play. The sun, sometimes the rain, the dust, and wind … the crack of the bat and giggling when my daughter swings at the high pitches. I love it. The frustrated parents whose kid doesn’t play exactly like they want, the kid who is crestfallen after striking out, the smaller siblings running hither and yon driving their parents nuts. More wonderful moments.

Being at home in the quiet.

My whole family together at Christmas.

A call from my mom saying she went shopping. *facepalm* That never ends well.

Riding in the car on a family vacation … to anywhere.

Last November, participating in the Susan G. Komen 3 day walk to celebrate my sister being a year cancer free! 60 miles in 3 days … full of the most wonderful moments, some painful.

Wherever I go … whatever I’m doing, you can at some point find me staring at everything, drinking IT ALL IN. And probably I’ll have a goofy grin on my face. Possibly while watching my kids play with their Legos or, like last summer, floating down a river in a kayak. Where my Uncle asked if I was seeing all sorts of stories in the world.

Yes. Yes I was. Thanks for asking.

Have I always been this way? I’m not sure, but if my sisters want to know something about our childhood, they ask me.

Some of these moments transform into the beginning of stories, others add to something I already have, still others wait to learn if they fit anywhere. Storing all these in my mind, every feeling and detail is just what I do. This affects my writing. In good and bad ways.

My description is … descriptive. I can set a scene, bringing in sights, sounds, smells. I want my characters to have their moments to experience the world I so lovingly created for them … before I do something mean to them.

I love sewing together words to create EVERYTHING.

And that’s the problem. EVERYTHING doesn’t belong in the story. Because reading is all about retreating to our minds, using our imaginations.

And because EVERYTHING can get boring … which is not my goal. Nope.

I will continue to take in every moment.

And continue to try not to use ALL THE WORDS in my writing. Luckily there are people out there to remind me …

Too many words!

Oh. Riiiiight!

So, if you catch me staring out into space with a strange look of joy, mixed with puzzlement and/or possibly horror. I’m just adding ALL THE THINGS to my head, which is storing it for later or filling in blank spaces of unwritten stories.

Enjoy your moments, each one is important, each one on your path of life, each one making you a better you … if you let it.

So … which ones are your favorites?

The Rainbow Connection

Tags

Kermit the Frog, magic, quote, The Muppets, The Rainbow Connection

“Someday we’ll find it, the rainbow connection, the lovers, the dreamers, and me. All of us under it’s spell, we know that it’s probably magic …”

Kermit the Frog

The Muppets … Jim Henson, the greatest dreamer EVER. I believe in you.

I believe in all of us.

Never stop dreaming.

The Muppets forever.

 

Magic Kids

Tags

beleiving, fairies, Girl Scouts, growing up, magic, winter hikes

Given a choice, I’ll hang out with kids over adults. Sad? Slightly weird? Maybe. Possibly I’m crazy … crazy like a fox.

Recently, I accompanied my daughter’s Girl Scout troop on an over night camp-out. In a cozy cabin, we made banana boats and s’mores, bracelets, learned how to make knots, went on a hike in the snow, and giggled, laughed, and had general insanity only 5th had 6th grade girls can have.

I had a marvelous time!

Kids’ minds are uncharted territory … full of all kinds of undiscovered treasure. For YA, MG, and children’s book authors that place is full of inspiration. I love what filters out through their mouths, giving hints at the genius within.

During our over night adventure, I had the pleasure of interacting with these girls. Someone remembered that I write books … beginning the line of questions.

“What are your books about?”

“How many books have you written?”

“Will you write a book about me?”

“Where can I buy your books?”

“Will you write a book about a magic cupcake … or a witch, but a good witch not a bad one … or a land of unicorns and rainbows?”

“What are fairies like?”

So I told them about my books, about my characters, about the worlds I have created. I explained that they can’t buy my books, because no one has published them yet. Of course, they assured me that they would read my books, and I should just explain that to the publishers. Well, you gotta love them. My heart swelled as again and again, I had to give details about all the stories.

We talked. We laughed. We were just plain silly. We explored the wintery world, sliding down a hill on our butts, marveling at the ice formations, and all the while discussing fairies and their glamor. I shared all my beliefs, in the end telling them that in the world of magic anything is possible and they could have their own ideas.

By the end, we hunted for fairy houses … or haunts as I call them. They created a home for the winged creatures in the snow and brought me outside later to see all the signs that fairies had been there. They hadn’t put that leaf in the house. They hadn’t made that hole. And look at the bits of snow that hadn’t been there before. Fairies? Maybe. Anything is possible. And believing is the magic.

Just because we don’t see it doesn’t mean it’s not real. One of my deepest wishes is to see a fairy, to witness something paranormal. And with these girls, maybe I did. Will I ever know for sure? Nope, but I can continue to believe. Just like my pre-teen friends.

For they are why I write. Their hopes and dreams are alive, still growing and developing. Their minds wide open to all the possibilities. Childhood is magic. I hope to add to the magic with my words. I hope to give them more dreams, more ideas to grow in their minds. And I hope as they grow up that they never forget the magic of childhood.

So my dearest Girl Scout troop …

Thank you.

For your brightness, your smiles, your laughter, your insanity …

Thank you.

For your craziness, your belief in the impossible, your love …

Thanks.

For beaded bracelets and necklaces, for the ring made of rubber bands, and for the mini clay me …

Picture taken by our fearless leader!

Ella, Sierra, Jesalyn, Kaylee, Hannah, Ashley, Kelley, Cassidy, Sam, Cassie, Linda, and Mae … you are my inspiration, my muses. You make me smile.

Thanks for making the world a better place by just being you. I hope all your dreams come true.

Thanks to everyone out in the world who supports Girl Scouts with time or money, or by buying a box of cookies. Without you we’d never have marvelous experiences to remember forever.

Who inspires you?

Believe … epilogue

Tags

Believing, dreams, faith, success, thoughts

Yesterday, I wanted all the cookies. I couldn’t stop crying. Fear and self doubt had me in a choke hold.

And today … I imprisoned those monsters back in the dark corners of elsewhere.

Victory is MINE!  *evil laugh*

I submitted my drawing again … all redrawn and stuff. And I have been accepted as an illustrator.

Everyone can breathe again.

All my ranting and worrying about working with technology I didn’t understand … All the awful it’s not good enough moments …

Done. Over. Kaput. So long, sucker.

My dream will come true because I stayed true to me. I worked with my art the way I know how. To find success, I never needed to look anywhere but here, in my own magic-filled head. We all have what we need to make our dreams come true.

If we believe. Which, I mentioned, is the hardest thing to do.

So I continue on my journey to have my art in a book. Eeeeeek! *flails* All thanks to Reuts Publishers and their anthology of twisted fairy tales.

First, I picked my story (yes, the one I had my heart set on was still there, waiting for me). *sigh* I mean zombie elves? Who could say no? Soon I shall set off to read the story and get all the ideas.

Hopefully.

See the fear … it never really goes away. What if I have no good ideas? What if I have a bajillion ideas and can’t execute any of them? What if no one likes what I do (especially the author, cause that would be terrible)?

What if …

What if …

Ah! Take all those doubts, ball them up and throw them into deep hole.

Why? Because I have everything I need to make this dream come true. I can’t promise no panic attacks or fights with self doubt, but I can promise to do my best.

And isn’t that good enough?

Believe

Tags

Believing, Bridge to Terabithia, dreams, illustrating, life struggle, self doubt, writing

“You’ve got to keep your mind wide open, all the possibilities. You’ve got to live with your eyes open, believe in what you see.”
From the soundtrack to ‘The Bridge to Terabithia’

Not only a great movie, but a wonderful book all about one of my favorite words … believing.

Sometimes the hardest thing to do is believe in yourself. I am struggling with this right now. Why? Fear.

Self doubt is rising, threatening to drown me. This is not new. I’ve been here before, haven’t we all?

I have a fabulous chance to do something I’ve always dreamed to do … have one of my drawings in a book, adding to the writer’s wonderful words. This is why I studied art in college!
They would love to use my talent, but my drawings do not translate well. The edges need to be better defined. Do I have experience with Photoshop?

No. Oh good heavens … you want me to experiment with technology?

Luckily, my hubs has the program on his work computer, limiting when I can use it, but it is there. So I stared at the screen and all the little symbols. I read tutorials, but … whut? … is this written in English?

So … I did something. The drawings look different. Am I going to be able to do this? I don’t know. I wait for hubs to get home so we can try again, so I can e-mail something … because I HAVE TO TRY, TO GIVE IT EVERYTHING. I need this.
Since I failed Photoshop, I decided to create more defined edges by adding ink to my drawing. Late last night, I fought back a wave of fear … AM I TOTALLY MESSING UP ONE OF MY FAVORITE DRAWINGS?

Ug.

On top of it editing my WIP is going slower than I thought it would. Believe it or not … this manuscript’s theme is believing. *headdesk*

What I hoped would be fun has turned into a monster with claws. Is the little I figured out on Photoshop enough to make my drawing something they can use? Is this dream going to come true?

I need a box of cookies.

I keep bursting out into tears.

I can’t focus.

I’m trying to keep my mind open … believing is magic. But in this moment, it feels out of reach.
Cross your fingers, kids, as I continue my adventure into the unknown.

The Magic of Fiction

Tags

adventure, books, Dr. Who, fiction, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, magic, magic of reading, movies, Narnia, stories, TV

Certain places call me, attract me, well, to be honest … I need them. And it’s not the ultra-cool, local bar. Heck, I’m not sure there is one around here.

There are people, who I long to visit, to follow on adventures, or just plain life. And they’re not my fabulous set of BFFs that live down the street. Yeah … friends? Funny. I’d have to talk to people.

No. I’m talking about fiction. And that might make me a sad hermit with social issues. OR it might make me awesome. Or a bit of both? I can handle that.

Books, movies, TV … stories take us places. That’s why we read and watch!

I workout. It’s an obsession. When I am on my rower or elliptical, there would be nothing sadder than me going nowhere on my machines staring into space. I would read, but I have a fear of falling off said machines and trying to turn the page would probably cause my death. And that would be bad … right?

Anyone? Well, someone would miss me. Probably the kids and hubs when there is no dinner or clean clothes.

Never mind … let’s get back on track.

So I watch movies and TV shows to entertain myself, possibly taking my mind off how tired I am or that I would love to collapse on the couch. Choosing movies to keep my brain occupied, while I burn off the tons of chocolate I ate the day before, is quite the process. Sometimes I know exactly what I want to watch and other times it’s more of a this-will-do scenario. But I have noticed trends, places I have to return to … characters and adventures I miss.

Hogwarts, Narnia, the Enterprise, Serenity (yes, I own the entire TV series on DVD), the Ingalls log house (another entire series I own on DVD), the TARDIS, the Millenium Falcon, Middle Earth, the Black Pearl, Camp Half Blood, and The Overlook Hotel. (A big THANKS to Mr. King for writing a sequel to that one!) TV, books, or movies, I go back to these worlds with a smile, knowing what I will find.

FABULOUSNESS!

I love them all, the magical worlds of fiction waiting to take me on journeys.

The end of the journey causes problems. When the Hogwarts Express arrives to take everyone home for the summer, my heart breaks. When the end credits role, I hum to the music, letting all my joy at the world I was allowed to visit sink into my soul. After flipping the last page and closing the cover, my finger traces the title. My mind lingers on all the emotion at saying good-bye to my friends. How many times have I called out to Kings Peter and Edmund, to Queens Susan and Lucy NOT TO GO IN THERE … THAT WILL TAKE YOU AWAY FROM NARNIA! But they never listen. When they tumble out of the wardrobe, I sigh. It can’t be over.

Can the TARDIS come back now? Doctor?

Beam me up Scotty, I want to explore strange new worlds.

Cap’n Mal? I’d love to help you rob that train.

Frodo, let me carry the Ring. Or better yet, I’ll go slay orcs with Legolas and Aragorn.

The Overlook can’t have exploded. I like it there. It’s creepy. Well, except for those hedge animals … they can burn. *shudder*

I don’t want to leave! *bangs on wardrobe doors* For Narnia!

I’m left wondering when I can return.

And there’s the magic. Not an if … but, when. All my favorite characters, the adventure and fantastical places wait for me on shiny discs, in words written forever in black and white, waiting for my imagination to bring them to life.

Recently I journeyed through the wardrobe to free Narnia, went back through the tunnel to meet Prince Caspian, and traveled through the picture to voyage on the Dawn Treader. At the end of each adventure, I sniffed back a few tears.

Now, after facing Voldemort and saving the Sorcerer’s Stone, after slaying the basilisk, I am ready to face the dementors with Harry, Ron, and Hermione. After watching Harry grow up and save the world, I’ll soon grab those books from their spots on my shelf, so pay attention to my ‘currently reading’ status on Goodreads. How can I stay away?

I CAN’T! Don’t make me.

We never have to leave. It’s hard when the story ends, but we carry pieces of the stories we love with us forever. All my favorite characters make me better, allowing me to view the world differently. The best tales change us, open our eyes. And lucky us, we can go back whenever we want.

Just like magic.

Where do you love to go? Who can’t you wait to visit again and again? I’m getting on the Hogwarts Express … wanna come?