I'll miss you, Harry Potter

Oh god. Where do I start?

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is the first big book that I ever read. I remember that my mom tried to read it to me, but that I refused to listen, because I wanted to read it on my own. I remember being scared at holding that thick novel in my hands; I was terrified that I wouldn’t be able to finish it. But, I devoured the novel in only a few days, and thus my love of reading really kicked in high gear. I began reading everything that I could get my hands on: magazines, textbooks, playing cards, kleenex boxes. If it had words, I wanted to be a part of it. I became a really fast reader, which, if you know me now, is extremely important, because I have the shortest attention span of all time.

Now what was I talking about?

I kid. But seriously.

I love Harry Potter for all that it is and will continue to be. I love the scared little boy growing up to be a man in a world fraught with danger. I love the friendships that develop between Harry, Ron, Hermione and the rest. I loved getting the new novel, and diving into a world that was so similar to the one that I lived in. In Harry Potter, I learned about the bond of family and friendship, and how it prevails even over the darkest shadows. I learned about heartache and failure, love and death. I learned how to adapt to situations, and I learned about trust. There is something that I will never be able to experience in full again, once Harry Potter has finished its run. I know that reading the last book was a traumatic and ultimately therapeutic experience, helping relieve some of the pain that I experienced through their triumphs. I felt the same way when I reread the novels about six months ago. That same relief washed over me, letting me relax for the first time in a long, long time.

I found my first celebrity crush in Hermione Granger, the smart, spunky girl. At 11, I was certain that she was the perfect girl for me. As I grew older, and Harry Potter grew with me, I lost my crush on the character (but not the actress. Seriously, Emma, call me. I’m a cool guy. Ask anyone! Compare our eHarmony profiles if you don’t believe me!) and began to understand what being in love and heartache truly meant. It was an enlightening experience, and one that I wouldn’t trade for the world. Its really hard to grow up and do things the right way, and trust me, I made every possible mistake. But having Harry Potter to fall back on definitely made things easier.

There is no way for me to thank JK Rowling for the universe she created; anything I say would be gibberish, and any gifts would be irrelevant. I just want you to know, JK, that I’m really happy that you wrote those novels, because they truly made an impact on my life. I think I made that clear above, but I just want to make sure that you definitely know.

I think I’ve said all that is needed about Harry Potter. I’m emotionally and mentally not ready for Harry Potter to end. But I know when it does, at that very moment when the credits roll, and the crowd stands and cheers and laughs and cries and relives every second of their lives that they spent waiting in line for the next book or for the latest midnight showing, that I’ll be standing with them, being as loud and as happy and sad as I ever possibly could be. I love Harry Potter, and I’ll never forget what the magical world of Harry Potter did for me.