Harry Potter Experience

I remember watching Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone for the first time with my mom. She kept rewinding the part when Hagrid knocks down the door and says, "Sorry about that." Everything from that point forward was just amazing to a 9-year-old me. I remember falling in love with all the magic. Platform 93/4, the beautiful train, the chocolate frog, the sorting hat, the great feast, Fluffy...I could go on for ages.

Harry Potter and Goblet of Fire is my favorite movie because that is when I fell in love with Ron Weasley/Rupert Grint but Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is and always will be my go to happy movie. It's the moment I fell in love with golden trio as they're now called. It's the moment that I understood how special and beautiful and freaking awesome it is to stand up against something bigger than yourself. I understand that more now because I'm older but it was always clear that there was something incredibly special about these movies and about Harry, Ron, and Hermione and Hogwarts.

After seeing Chamber of Secrets, I started reading the books. I started with Prisoner of Azkaban then read the first two and then I read the rest of them in order from Goblet of Fire. I already loved reading but I was never in love with a series like this before. I loved finishing one book and wondering what would happen next. It kept my love of reading alive. I still really love reading. Whenever I get the chance, I read my favorite chapter of the whole series, The Prince's Tale in Deathly Hallows. It never gets old. It never stops being beautiful. It reminds me that people are more than what you see. That is something we forget far too often.

I've learned a lot from the series. I've learned a lot from the books, movies, and characters.

• It's okay to stand up for what you believe in
• It's okay to fight against something bigger than yourself.
• People are different but that's not a reason to hate them.
• Love conquers all
• Love is there even when you don't realize it.
• Magic is love and love is real
• We can stand up to what we're afraid of whether it be spiders or hate
• Never judge a book by it's cover because people are more than what we see.
• When you believe in yourself, you can do a lot of great things.
  
• It's okay to be yourself
• It's not good to have too much power and then use it for bad. You never win that way.
• I am a Free Elf. We are all Free Elves.
  

I think the most important thing to me is that it's okay to stand up and fight against something bigger than yourself. If I think back now, that's what pulled me in. These were little kids, only 11, who knew the importance of right from wrong and did everything in their power to make things right and win the good fight. We're stronger than we think and if we have this courage and bravery, who knows what great things we can accomplish for the good fight.

Harry Potter has been really special to me for more than half of my life now. I wouldn't change it at all. It's a part of who I am. I'm a proud Potterhead. Years 1 to 7 are done on paper and on the big screen but it's not over. It will always be a special part of me. I am sad that there are no more movies or books but it will live on. Like J.K. Rowling said, "Hogwarts will always be there to welcome you home." I will never forget the love and the magic. When something is this wonderful, it's legacy lives on forever. Happy Birthday J.K. Rowling. Thank you for everything. "All was well. "

Perfect Harmony...

I LOVE Unity. I don't get to see it as much as I'd like too but nonetheless, it makes me so happy. So today's inspirational song is "I'd like to teach the world to sing." We can't go forward if we're holding one another back or bringing each other down. It's all about love and respect. We can so much by ourselves already. Do you know that power that we could have we worked and climbed together as a united force? We can conquer anything like HATE, the battles against our own bodies, the fight for freedom, and anything we can imagine....the possibilities are truly endless. So HUGS all around and love from the mountains. Peace is possible.

It's Christmas!

Merry Love Day. ♥

I love this time of year. Sometimes holidays are hard and stressful but at the end of the day, it's all about love and understanding that it's there. When you don't have money or all the other fancy things in the Christmas commercials, you can count on love. It might sound crazy but it's the only thing that is always there. Love is always on your side. Look at the bigger picture.

There are a lot of love stories on right now. My mom and I had to choose between Titanic, Pride & Prejudice, and Vicki Christina Barcelona. We chose Titanic♥. Right now, Jack and Rose are flying and making out into the horizon and it is warming my heart in so many ways. I love this movie! It's so beautiful. Later on I'll probably watch Pride & Prejudice or maybe I'll be lucky enough to catch the Blind Side on TV again. I began watching it last night and started crying before it was 15 minutes in. I love my sappy movies! It feels good to let some tears out!

Merry Love Day, I hope it was wonderful for you.

It's not as bad as it seems.

The stars were amazing last night. I can normally see the stars outside of my house but last night, it was absolutely phenomenal! It was very relaxing. I've been worrying about so many things lately and I even hit rock bottom a few days ago. It was really bad. I didn't know if I was going to be able to come all the way back and stay there for a healthy amount of time.

So far, I think I'm doing well and I really have my mommy to thank for that. When she calms me down and saves me from my downfall of the moment, it really lasts for a while. Then I saw the stars. I saw how bright they were and how it almost looked magical. I really love magic. I was in complete awe. It was so beautiful! I hope it's an image that stays because it makes my heart happy. I should be happy for Christmas and I'm excited about it. Santa Claus is coming to town but love is already here and it isn't going anywhere.

It hurts everyone.

It hurts the little girl that has to sit between her two angry parents on the long ride home.
It hurts the little girl when her dad takes out his anger on her.
It hurts when the parents and make a huge horrible public display of their "anger" in the middle of the gas station while the little girls cry because of how much it hurts.

It hurts everyone. Love is Louder. Hate and anger hurts too much. When the cycle end?

love is louder

End bullying. There is no excuse to hurt people or to push them to the edge of death with endless taunting, jeers, or rude and demeaning remarks. It's not fair. This cycle that is ending countless, precious lives needs to stop! How many tears must flow, lives lost, blood shed, before the world sees that action needs to be taken? How long before society sees that love is louder than hate. Love is louder than pain. There is never an excuse to hurt people. I'll never understand why anyone thinks it's okay It blows my mind when ever I think about it but I know that's there will be a day when this horrible cycle ends and love can be heard through all the confusion and pain. We have to take baby steps but there is no doubt that if we work together and work on the love, we can it "Don't give up on love, just hold on."

walk a mile in her shoes♥

I was lucky enough to experience something truly wonderful today! October is domestic violence awareness month. Here at USF, over a hundred REAL men walked in heels to raise awareness for the victims and survivors of sexual assault and rape. The event is called walk a mile in her shoes. What's better than guys in heels? Guys in heels who care about women and are willing to pledge to respect women. They took a beautiful pledge to respect women, to always have consent, and to overall know that REAL men listen, ask, and always get consent.

There is no excuse for abuse. Voices need to be heard. Every step we take for awareness allows one silenced voice to be heard. Rape hurts everyone. It was amazing to see how many men care to make a difference. It was amazing to see how many people in general care and are willing to make a difference.

It exemplifies something that I'm always saying, when we believe in ourselves, we're making the world a better place just by living in it.

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=444367204092&set=a.444367069092.241956.131614279092#!/LetsBeREAL

http://www.walkamileinhershoes.org

sit back

do you realize how beautiful this world is? It's a crazy place you know. It's just so real. It's unpredictable, crazy, dangerous, fun, and...it's just you can't blink, you'll miss too much!

I saw a girl today in a lot of trouble. It was crazy. It's a happy time here for us, more or less, first week of classes, a new start or the continuation of something very special, and there she was in the middle of it all, very lost, shocked, and scared. She made a few of us think. We always say how short life is and how you can be on your own personal high and then it can all be taken away from us as fast as it takes us to blink. It's not a matter of making wrong decisions or anything like that. There are just so many things that we just can't control and it's just so unfortunate that to live in this wonderful and crazy world, we have to live through some of those experiences sometimes.

I just think it's important to understand that you can make it. It gets extrememly hard out there sometimes but you have to know that you can make it out. The darkness only lasts for a while. You have to believe that the light is there and you'll find it. "In the darkness there is fear but there is also hope." You don't have to suffer forever. It'll be okay. I know that you're going to make it. I have faith.

love love love

I believe in love so of course I think that magic is real.

I'm totally in the midst of doing chemistry homework for a class that hasn't even started yet when I remembered the night I was up and thinking about magic and that is the conclusion I came too. It reminds me of how the love of Harry Potter's mother saved him from being killed and left him with an awesome scar. I know it may sound cheesy but it was easy to think of and that story is based on bravery and love. I really must get back to my work though.

in a disney mood :)

may 13th's reasons to smile

• I listened to tons of old songs on youtube today. Like all of bow wow's old songs and I knew all the words! It was so fun. Some of these songs, I can't even remember why they were so popular, like that song Laffy Taffy. I just had a lot of fun. Oh those songs bring me back to the good old days when I was 8-13. I kind of miss those days.
• AP tests are over. We don't do much in my classes but I enjoy talking and watching movies and reading books.
• Jonas live chat today. I love those boys. they make me smile. :)
• I realized again, how much I want to travel. If I could I'd get on a plane tomorrow and just pick a country out of a hat and try to go there.
• sweet tea =]
• Reservations Blues, the book my AP Lit class is reading, is getting really interesting. I love traveling through books, it's cheap and you can travel through time too. awesome!
• my friends and their smiles, always make me smile
• it's thursday! and tomorrow is relay for life! I love relay for life.

A message that needs to be posted more than once

Once on a yellow piece of paper with green lines
he wrote a
poem
And he called it "Chops"
because that was the name of his dog
And that's what it was all about
And his teacher gave him an A
and a
gold star
And his mother hung it on the kitchen door
and read it to his
aunts
That was the year Father Tracy
took all the kids to the zoo
And he let them sing on the bus
And his little sister was born
with
tiny toenails and no hair
And his mother and father kissed a lot
And the
girl around the corner sent him a
Valentine signed with a row of X's
and
he had to ask his father what the X's meant
And his father always tucked him
in bed at night
And was always there to do it

Once on a piece of
white paper with blue lines
he wrote a poem
And he called it "Autumn"
because that was the name of the season
And that's what it was all about
And his teacher gave him an A
and asked him to write more clearly
And his mother never hung it on the kitchen door
because of its new
paint
And the kids told him
that Father Tracy smoked cigars
And left
butts on the pews
And sometimes they would burn holes
That was the year
his sister got glasses
with thick lenses and black frames
And the girl
around the corner laughed
when he asked her to go see Santa Claus
And
the kids told him why
his mother and father kissed a lot
And his father
never tucked him in bed at night
And his father got mad
when he cried
for him to do it.

Once on a paper torn from his notebook
he wrote a
poem
And he called it "Innocence: A Question"
because that was the
question about his girl
And that's what it was all about
And his
professor gave him an A
and a strange steady look
And his mother never
hung it on the kitchen door
because he never showed her
That was the
year that Father Tracy died
And he forgot how the end
of the Apostle's
Creed went
And he caught his sister
making out on the back porch
And
his mother and father never kissed
or even talked
And the girl around
the corner
wore too much makeup
That made him cough when he kissed her
but he kissed her anyway
because that was the thing to do
And at
three a.m. he tucked himself into bed
his father snoring soundly

That's why on the back of a brown paper bag
he tried another poem
And he called it "Absolutely Nothing"
Because that's what it was really
all about
And he gave himself an A
and a slash on each damned wrist
And he hung it on the bathroom door
because this time he didn't think
he could reach the kitchen.

This poem is called, A Person, A Paper, A Promise, written by Dr. Earl Reum.

Isn't it sad? My wish for you all is to understand that the world in which we live is brutal, it's rough, it's confusing, it's real but it can be beautiful. It wil give us strength. You are not alone. You 're stronger than you think. You can make it. Please don't give up. You are beautiful. B-E-A-U-tiful. You are worth so much. You're not worthless, you never were, and you never will be. Sometimes things are hard but they'll make you stronger and you'll get past it. You're going to make it. I know you're tired but you can take it. You'll get the energy to make it through. You'll find the light to lead you out of the darkness and your heart will sing and be happy and you'll feel the love. The sadness will go away. You'll accomplish things you can't even imagine right now. Don't be afraid, don't run away. You're amazing and you're going to make it. You deserve the sun and the stars, the moon, the clouds, and all the smiles in the world. You deserve it all. Your life is precious and beautiful. It's wonderful and perfect. You may not see how precious your life is but treasure it. It's a wonderful thing. Please don't hurt it. Don't destroy it. Don't tarnish its beauty. Please! I love you. I'd love for you to be happy. I'd love to see you smile. A beautiful and happy smile. I'd love to see pain and sadness vanished from the world forever. I want all hearts to be healed. I believe that we can work together to achieve that. We can make it happen through love. Love is magical. Hope is magical but they're both real. They're real and we can use them to change the world and make it better place. A place that we deserve and a place that our children and their children deserve. A beautiful place built on love and fed with happiness. It can happen and it will. It's possible if we all believe and know that it's real. Know that a better tomorrow is possible and we can all work towards it. Tell someone how amazing they are. Tell someone that their smile is beautiful and that it warms other people's hearts. Tell someone that they are loved and not alone. Believe it. Understand it and spread the word. Together we can spread love to every heart and the world will be a better place. We can do it. I believe. Do you?

see, they're all real

"Beauty, truth, friendship, love, creation – these are the great values of life. We can't prove them, or explain them, yet they are the most stable things in our lives."

these are the things that remind us that there is something special in all of our lives. We often forget that and it's such a shame. We forget that there is love and there is beauty in everything! Not a many things make me mad but there's one of the major things that upsets me is seeing people ignore people because of they dress differently or they don't fit in. That is so stupid!

I'm not going to put loving myself and respecting myself on hold so that I can fit in. I'm on a journey to be the best me I can be and I'm not going to stop because people don't approve of how I look or what I believe in. Nobody should disrespect you for being yourself. That's the reason people should love you. It's hard to just say to keep those people out of your life but them being there can't be a positive thing. It really hurts sometimes too but I know that they don't mean to hurt me, they don't mean to hurt you either. When people see a certain thing as "the greatest thing ever" they usually think that anything that isn't in any way similar to that doens't even deserve the time of day. I don't think that's true.

I think that everything has potential to be the best thing ever. It's all in the way we look at it. I like to look at things and find beauty instead of trying to find all the reasons to not like it. I don't think that's necessary. That's what I believe, I'm not forcing other people to believe it but that's what works for me. The other way makes me angry! I don't really like being angry.

I like loving myself. I like being at peace with myself. i like finding beauty in every thing. It takes time but I'm willing to work for it all. My biggest dream is that we will all be able to see the love and the beauty one day and notice that it is literally all around us. We just have to be brave enough to look.

Happy Mother's Day

I just want to wish all the mamas out there a very wonderful mother's day! I love my momma, she's my rock. Sometimes I think I don't deserve a person as special as she is. She's made it through a lot and she keeps on going. I've seen her give us amazing amounts of support and love even when she didn't even have energy for herself. My mom is my best friend. I can always talk to her, she always makes me laugh. As I get older I appreciate her more and I can understand the struggles of a mom. I've seen her go through a lot to have my brother and sister. She almost died while she was pregnant with my sister and she was on bedrest through both pregnancies, that is love! Our home is full of love and it wouldn't be possible if it weren't for my beautiful and amazing mommy! She's always praises me and tells me how special I am even when I refuse to see it myself. She'll always be my inspiration. She's not perfect, no one is, but she's strong and she knows how to put a good fight.

random but awesome images

Went on a search and kept finding these pictures that I fell in love with so I had to share. They all send a beautiful positive message! =] ♥

[http://whomcwhat.tumblr.com/ and http://matkatha.tumblr.com/]

.....♥

http://www.twloha.com

random positive pikkers I googled!

fabulous!

flawless. freckles are adorable!

wonderful!

small words. giant impact.

"Love as though you have never been hurt before."

This sounds hard but it's possible. I have hope. Sometimes I fear that I won't be able to do this but I learn from each of the times that my heart aches and one day I'll be able to love without automatically thinking I'll be hurt. I have HOPE.

love and travel

Today, I wrote love on my arm in support of TWLOHA and all of the people who are struggling with depression, addiction, self injury, and suicide. It's a cause that's very close to my heart and I want to support their efforts as much as I can. I have struggled with some of those things and it's comforting to know that someone out there supports you even when you don't even realize it.

I also made of list of places I would like to visit next summer. I still have to narrow it down. =]

• Egypt
• South Africa
• Jamaica
• Grenada
• England
• Greece
• India
• France

The world is waiting.

I want to travel the world. I don't want to stay in any little box. The world is waiting for peace and love. To achieve that, I think that we have to be open and willing to explore and accept cultures and traditions outside of our own. I don't understand why more people aren't interested in learning about others. Just because something isn't familiar to you doesn't mean it's bad. Fit it into your schema! Everyone, in every part of the world, needs love. I'm sure that one of the first steps to having that love and peace in the world is accepting people for who they are and loving them because they're beautiful and remarkable and precious. We may not believe in all the same things and we may not all look the same but that's what makes it so exciting. The countless opportunities to see more smiles and to see what love looks like around the world, why shouldn't we want that? I think that's a wonderful desire to learn more about other cultures without disrespecting them. Too often I see and hear people talk harshly about some religions and traditions and entire nations and it makes me think, if you've never lived that way, and you don't know anything about it other than what you've researched, who are you to criticize and judge them? Try to go out and see the world through their eyes. Show them love and respect. It's what we would all like for ourselves and our beliefs. Why then do so many people continue to disrespect the world outside of what they see to be "the right way to live." The world is beautiful. It could be full of love and peace if we just open our eyes and our hearts to accept what's outside of our boxes. It will be worth it.

*first posted on http://www.sisteriisister.blogspot.com/ a wonderful blog featuring posts from beautiful women of all ages